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Beg, Borrow or Steal #1
Beg, Borrow or Steal
Jamie is proud of everything he’s achieved. A consultant anaesthetist and the Medical Education Director – he’s a pretty big deal. So when one of his medical students falls asleep, right in the middle of a tutorial, he is furious. He’s a bloody good teacher, damn it!
Maybe he could have been a little more understanding. Maybe he didn’t have to try and humiliate her. But the shock of how beautiful this particular student was when she finally opened her eyes, and his inappropriate reaction, only fuelled his anger. He’s tired of lame excuses from wild party animals burning the candle at both ends, and he’s going to make an example of this one.
For Libby, pride is a luxury and beauty is currency. Pregnant at seventeen and an aspiring doctor, she couldn’t afford to be proud, so she cashed in on her looks instead. She will beg, borrow or steal to achieve her dreams and give her daughter the life she deserves, even if she has to forgo sleep – even if she has to leave her dignity behind.
Only now that she’s not just sitting in lecture theatres like her first two years of medical school, now that she’s working in a real hospital, Libby is realizing that the thread she’s been hanging onto for so long may be about to snap. The last thing she needs is to have riled the gorgeous, judgmental Head of Medical Education. But there’s only so far you can push yourself, only so much pressure you can be under until you break. Libby’s been on that cliff edge for a while; her health may just tip her over.
A kick in the shin from a four-year-old girl and a confrontation with her tearful, exhausted mother soon forces Jamie to see what a bastard he’s been. Libby may not accept his help, but he’s relentless when he wants something, and it’s not long before he realizes that this mother and daughter belong with him. So when a stag night he’s on ends up in the best strip club in England and he sees who the main attraction is, his reaction is explosive.
Despite everything, Libby finds she still has some pride left. This man has made her feel small twice now. He won’t be getting a third shot. No matter how gorgeous he is, no matter how persistent …
This book is a full-length contemporary romance of approximately 90,000 words with no cliffhanger and its own HEA.
Maybe he could have been a little more understanding. Maybe he didn’t have to try and humiliate her. But the shock of how beautiful this particular student was when she finally opened her eyes, and his inappropriate reaction, only fuelled his anger. He’s tired of lame excuses from wild party animals burning the candle at both ends, and he’s going to make an example of this one.
For Libby, pride is a luxury and beauty is currency. Pregnant at seventeen and an aspiring doctor, she couldn’t afford to be proud, so she cashed in on her looks instead. She will beg, borrow or steal to achieve her dreams and give her daughter the life she deserves, even if she has to forgo sleep – even if she has to leave her dignity behind.
Only now that she’s not just sitting in lecture theatres like her first two years of medical school, now that she’s working in a real hospital, Libby is realizing that the thread she’s been hanging onto for so long may be about to snap. The last thing she needs is to have riled the gorgeous, judgmental Head of Medical Education. But there’s only so far you can push yourself, only so much pressure you can be under until you break. Libby’s been on that cliff edge for a while; her health may just tip her over.
A kick in the shin from a four-year-old girl and a confrontation with her tearful, exhausted mother soon forces Jamie to see what a bastard he’s been. Libby may not accept his help, but he’s relentless when he wants something, and it’s not long before he realizes that this mother and daughter belong with him. So when a stag night he’s on ends up in the best strip club in England and he sees who the main attraction is, his reaction is explosive.
Despite everything, Libby finds she still has some pride left. This man has made her feel small twice now. He won’t be getting a third shot. No matter how gorgeous he is, no matter how persistent …
This book is a full-length contemporary romance of approximately 90,000 words with no cliffhanger and its own HEA.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2017
3806 people are currently reading
5835 people want to read
About the author
Susie Tate
26 books2,015 followersSusie is a top 2 Amazon bestselling author who writes addictive, feel-good contemporary romance with heroes who may make you a little ragey, but who always redeem themselves in the end! She’s been a doctor in the NHS for over twenty years and lives in beautiful Dorset with her wonderful husband, three gorgeous boys and an even more wonderful dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 744 reviews
October 31, 2017
No! What the hell? I can't seriously be the only one who found this book questionable, can I?
I've been struggling with this for two and a half months now, only picking it up again today to finally get it over with.
The sad thing is, this actually had potential. An interesting premise. An independent, young single mom heroine. Witty supporting characters. And even the writing was really nice.
Alas, then HE came along. The „hero“ aka Jamie, aka manipulative, controlling asshat. Those of you who read my reviews on a more or less regular basis know how much I hate overbearing alpha-holes, but Jamie takes it to a whole new level. Oh, he doesn't behave like your typical alpha caveman on the outside. He goes at it far more subtly, which only makes it all the creepier.
And what a disrespectful, sexist hypocryte he is! He won't even let the woman he claims to care for finish her sentences, always interrupting her when she finally finds her spine to tell him off. He ignores her wishes, doesn't take no for an answer and forces his presence on her when he clearly isn't wanted, using her little 4 year old daughter to get his will. He goes into a strip club, and yet he judges her for what she does for a living, demanding of her to give up her job and basically let him enable her. As if that weren't reason enough to kick his ass to the curb, he then proceeds to blackmail and manipulate her. And when he still doesn't get his way, he goes behind her back and manipulates those close to her, letting them do the convincing and emotional blackmailing.
It was such a shame to witness a heroine as proud and self-sufficient as Libby become such a miserable pushover.
I'm even taking back what I said in my status update about this being a rehashed version of basically any Kristen Ashley novel. I might not be a fan of KA's books (very far from it, to be honest), but at least she doesn't try to hide her heroes' misogyny behind a charming exterior.
So for the first time in years, one star it is.
Just can't find it in me to support the romanticizing of emotional extortion and manipulation.
ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2024
I expected so much better from this story and was disappointed at every turn. I'm sympathetic to Libby's situation. A single mother working long hours to put herself through a rigorous education and still support herself and her daughter is all kinds of engaging. Only, the author intruded at nearly every turn to undermine everything that was supposed to be noble or good about this character.
Libby's response to every male overture in the beginning (even innocuous ones) was so defensive that I began to suspect that her daughter was the result of an assault. Jamie even has an internal moment where he wonders as much, her reaction is so strong. So I was waiting to see how that would go and how she'd overcome that aversion only to find out that, no, she hasn't been assaulted and her reactions were a) extreme for no reason and b) went away once they were no longer useful as an appeal to pathos of the audience. This sets up a pattern of disappointment, it turns out.
The biggest example of this is Libby's repeated assurances that "I refuse to be shamed for what I do" whenever someone tries to make an issue of her being a stripper (more on that in a bit). Only, again and again, if you actually parse her inner responses, it's pretty clear that Libby, herself, is deeply ashamed by her work. She hides it from everyone. She shrinks from every conflict until it's shoved in her face and she can make some dramatic gesture to show how not-ashamed she is. And that epilogue? Yeah, it's full of how grateful she is not to have to do the dirty anymore.
And the whole stripper thing? Yeah, it turns out that she's super special girl and single-handedly turned the place that hired her into an up-scale burlesque show. So while lingerie is involved, there's not any actual nudity. Because she can bring in the crowds, and "triple the profits" with showing less because it's all gymnastic and dancey and stuff. Choreography FTW, I suppose. And that might be a thing. I don't know anything about strippernomics. Just paint me skeptical, is all I'm saying. Also: another notch in the column of stripping actually being a shameful occupation because the author has to alter it to be comfortable with the main character's participation.
And all of this is before I got to the problematic relationship bits. I mean, Jamie is clearly uncomfortable with her profession. Because he's a guy and jealousy is a thing. But he's also way older than her (on the edge of the squick formula*, but on the wrong side of that edge), and kind of a helpless bungler, relying rather heavily on apologies after the dumb things he does. I kind of liked that his family was lovely, if a bit too unstereotypical (like, Tate took the stereotype of buttoned-up rich person and just inverted it). He was pretty adorable with Rosie, but other than that, there's just not much there.
But what killed this completely dead to me is Libby's mono-response to Jamie. She's all denial, all the way. And that never lets up. She doesn't want his money, fine, though that makes zero sense to me. I mean, she's already essentially cashing in on her good looks with her "stripper" thing, so her objection is a little inconsistent on its face. But it's also clear that Jamie isn't at all that shallow (he's a bungling idiot, yes, but his attachment to Libby is clearly deep and full of important emotional support). And it turns out that she's all about appearances and shame, so yeah, let's not accept any help from the guy in love with her. That'd be silly! Frankly, what's silly is that this motivation makes no sense at all because she says, over and over, that she'd do anything to ensure that Rosie has everything she needs, even "beg, borrow, or steal" and here's the golden ticket! And turning him down over and over might have worked to show how deeply she was engaged with him because she makes this a line she wouldn't cross despite her mantra. Only, there's nothing actually morally wrong with accepting his help. So this persists until she finally pulls a stupid dark moment runner for no rational reason at all. Not a great look for a character who is supposed to be both smart and not care what others think of her choices because she's empowered and all.
So this is pretty much a failure on every level. It has too many special carve-outs to say anything about the big issue it supposedly "takes on" (stripping to support noble goals). No, it's worse than that. All the special carve outs actually serve to prove the opposite point—i.e. the moral framework of this story is that stripping is wrong and those involved should be ashamed of their profession. Because all the things that Libby does to "improve" her work and achieve success takes it farther away from its actual realities.
So yeah, one star and a huge disappointment on pretty much every level.
A note about Steamy: I let this review go too long to remember the specific count. One or two, I think, with later sexual hijinks merely referred to so on the low side of my steam tolerance. Libby is practically a virgin as she only had the bit of sex with the boy who got her pregnant and nothing since. And yet another fumble by the author is that it's all played to the tune of "discovering multiple orgasms" and missed out on any depth or emotional payload it might have had.
* The squick formula: The squick formula is where you take the age of the older, divide it in half and then add seven to find the minimum acceptable relationship age. Jamie is 33 so the formula would be 33 / 2 = 16.5 + 7 = 23.5. Libby is 22, making Jamie a cradle-robbing letch.
Libby's response to every male overture in the beginning (even innocuous ones) was so defensive that I began to suspect that her daughter was the result of an assault. Jamie even has an internal moment where he wonders as much, her reaction is so strong. So I was waiting to see how that would go and how she'd overcome that aversion only to find out that, no, she hasn't been assaulted and her reactions were a) extreme for no reason and b) went away once they were no longer useful as an appeal to pathos of the audience. This sets up a pattern of disappointment, it turns out.
The biggest example of this is Libby's repeated assurances that "I refuse to be shamed for what I do" whenever someone tries to make an issue of her being a stripper (more on that in a bit). Only, again and again, if you actually parse her inner responses, it's pretty clear that Libby, herself, is deeply ashamed by her work. She hides it from everyone. She shrinks from every conflict until it's shoved in her face and she can make some dramatic gesture to show how not-ashamed she is. And that epilogue? Yeah, it's full of how grateful she is not to have to do the dirty anymore.
And the whole stripper thing? Yeah, it turns out that she's super special girl and single-handedly turned the place that hired her into an up-scale burlesque show. So while lingerie is involved, there's not any actual nudity. Because she can bring in the crowds, and "triple the profits" with showing less because it's all gymnastic and dancey and stuff. Choreography FTW, I suppose. And that might be a thing. I don't know anything about strippernomics. Just paint me skeptical, is all I'm saying. Also: another notch in the column of stripping actually being a shameful occupation because the author has to alter it to be comfortable with the main character's participation.
And all of this is before I got to the problematic relationship bits. I mean, Jamie is clearly uncomfortable with her profession. Because he's a guy and jealousy is a thing. But he's also way older than her (on the edge of the squick formula*, but on the wrong side of that edge), and kind of a helpless bungler, relying rather heavily on apologies after the dumb things he does. I kind of liked that his family was lovely, if a bit too unstereotypical (like, Tate took the stereotype of buttoned-up rich person and just inverted it). He was pretty adorable with Rosie, but other than that, there's just not much there.
But what killed this completely dead to me is Libby's mono-response to Jamie. She's all denial, all the way. And that never lets up. She doesn't want his money, fine, though that makes zero sense to me. I mean, she's already essentially cashing in on her good looks with her "stripper" thing, so her objection is a little inconsistent on its face. But it's also clear that Jamie isn't at all that shallow (he's a bungling idiot, yes, but his attachment to Libby is clearly deep and full of important emotional support). And it turns out that she's all about appearances and shame, so yeah, let's not accept any help from the guy in love with her. That'd be silly! Frankly, what's silly is that this motivation makes no sense at all because she says, over and over, that she'd do anything to ensure that Rosie has everything she needs, even "beg, borrow, or steal" and here's the golden ticket! And turning him down over and over might have worked to show how deeply she was engaged with him because she makes this a line she wouldn't cross despite her mantra. Only, there's nothing actually morally wrong with accepting his help. So this persists until she finally pulls a stupid dark moment runner for no rational reason at all. Not a great look for a character who is supposed to be both smart and not care what others think of her choices because she's empowered and all.
So this is pretty much a failure on every level. It has too many special carve-outs to say anything about the big issue it supposedly "takes on" (stripping to support noble goals). No, it's worse than that. All the special carve outs actually serve to prove the opposite point—i.e. the moral framework of this story is that stripping is wrong and those involved should be ashamed of their profession. Because all the things that Libby does to "improve" her work and achieve success takes it farther away from its actual realities.
So yeah, one star and a huge disappointment on pretty much every level.
A note about Steamy: I let this review go too long to remember the specific count. One or two, I think, with later sexual hijinks merely referred to so on the low side of my steam tolerance. Libby is practically a virgin as she only had the bit of sex with the boy who got her pregnant and nothing since. And yet another fumble by the author is that it's all played to the tune of "discovering multiple orgasms" and missed out on any depth or emotional payload it might have had.
* The squick formula: The squick formula is where you take the age of the older, divide it in half and then add seven to find the minimum acceptable relationship age. Jamie is 33 so the formula would be 33 / 2 = 16.5 + 7 = 23.5. Libby is 22, making Jamie a cradle-robbing letch.
did-not-finish
April 30, 2023DNF 10%. No rating because this has potential to get better but I can’t continue with this, it’s giving me too many bad feelings.
1. The hero mentions that the heroine is beautiful in countless different ways over and over again. He seems shallow as hell and he’s at least ten years older than her, her superior at work AS WELL AS her teacher? Nope!
2. I get that she’s a single mother moonlighting as a stripper but there is no excuse for being chronically late and falling asleep during a surgery when you want to be a DOCTOR!! He has a right to reprimand her but his reason for being angry is that a beautiful woman falls asleep on him and not that she’s incredibly unprofessional? This guy is a toad and I hate this premise so much.
This book gives me the squick. I’m bailing.
1. The hero mentions that the heroine is beautiful in countless different ways over and over again. He seems shallow as hell and he’s at least ten years older than her, her superior at work AS WELL AS her teacher? Nope!
2. I get that she’s a single mother moonlighting as a stripper but there is no excuse for being chronically late and falling asleep during a surgery when you want to be a DOCTOR!! He has a right to reprimand her but his reason for being angry is that a beautiful woman falls asleep on him and not that she’s incredibly unprofessional? This guy is a toad and I hate this premise so much.
This book gives me the squick. I’m bailing.
July 10, 2025
3.5 stars
It’s definitely my mood… I was WAAAAY too distracted while reading this 😭. Maybe next time I shouldn’t start a new book as I get ready to go on vacation and while busy BEING on vacation 🫠.
Jamie’s (33) a consultant anaesthetist and the Medical Education Director who prides himself in his job, especially when it comes to teaching others. Except that one of his students keeps falling asleep 😬. Now, normally this wouldn’t be a big deal if this was in a classroom setting, but the student falls asleep while seeing to patients and working at the hospital, and that’s just unacceptable 🤷♀️. He doesn’t need to know what kind of partying she’s doing to know that she can’t be doing this if she’s serious about becoming a pediatrician 🤷♀️. So he makes an example of her and humiliates her 😬. But he doesn’t know the whole story 😅, and when he finds out, he feels like iiiiissshhh 🫣.
Libby’s (22) a dedicated mom who’s willing to beg, borrow, or steal in order to feed herself and her daughter. She became a teenage mom before she finished high school and her daughter’s dad isn’t in the picture 😬, so she has to do what she’s got to do in order to survive 😅, even if this means that she’ll be very tired or sleepy while being a med student ☹️ during the day. At night, Libby has a job dancing at a prestigious strip club 😅 (I’d say she’s actually just a burlesque dancer 🤷♀️).
One night, Jami’s out with his brother and friends at said strip club when he notices that the main attraction looks kind of familiar 😅 and then all hell breaks loose when he tries to take her off the stage 🤣.
Whoops 🤣
Guess he’ll have some explaining to do 😅🫣.
What I liked:
—the sweet stuff ❤️. So many swoony moments 🫶
—how JP and cavemany Jamie gets 🤣. You best try getting your woman off the stage 🤣 even though she doesn’t know she’s your woman 🤡
—the tension 😅. This is SLOOOOW burn, and I appreciated that
—the little 🔥 we get. First kiss happens at almost 50% and we get one full 🔥 scene at about 60%. I’ll take whatever we get
—calling out the misogyny 🤷♀️. People call strippers slurs yet what do we call the men who GO to the strip clubs?! Exactly 🤷♀️
—how protective Jamie is, and not just with Libby but with Rosie, her daughter too ❤️🫶 love me a man that’s all accepting 🫶
—Rosie ❤️ she gets her own bullet because she’s too adorable 🥹❤️
—the OMD 😈. There’s a man that wants Libby, and Jamie makes sure to stake his claim 😉. This man tries to continue to cause trouble too 😑
—the side characters 👀. I think I’ll try reading the next book in the series 👀
What I didn’t like/wanted more of:
—more 🔥. I was disappointed 😭
—she’s a nonvirgin virgin 🙄. She really only had sex one time before Jamie (when she got pregnant) and that’s it 😒
—Libby not appreciating Jamie’s attempts to make her life better 😑. Look. If I have a wealthier-than-me man offering to have me not work, well, I might just take advantage 🤣🤣🤣. Plus. Her mantra is she’ll beg, borrow, or steal… so… what gives Libby 🤷♀️
—the slow start 😅. It’s probably related to my mood, but it took me a while to really get into this 😭
—Jamie not doing more sooner to help Libby 😅
— how unrealistic some things were 😅. I get it; this is fantasy, a book, but I needed some realism too 😅
—Jamie’s gross brother’s behavior 😑. The fact that his wife doesn’t want him going to strip clubs anymore for whatever reason says something, and nothing’s revealed about what that is or what happened 😵💫. I’m assuming some cheating might’ve happened? All I know is, they needed to be some follow through with this 😑
Overall, I liked it. My mood (and life) might’ve increased my enjoyment of it ever I had just been in the right mood. Oh well. 🫣
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-misogyny/sexism
-OMD- there’s OM that wants the h and keeps insisting, even though she says no. He causes drama later in the book.
-condom (in the one sex scene)/no virgins/not a manwhore/the h might as well be a virgin- she’s only been with her daughter’s dad (which was basically a ONS)
-HEA/epilogue/4 years later
It’s definitely my mood… I was WAAAAY too distracted while reading this 😭. Maybe next time I shouldn’t start a new book as I get ready to go on vacation and while busy BEING on vacation 🫠.
Jamie’s (33) a consultant anaesthetist and the Medical Education Director who prides himself in his job, especially when it comes to teaching others. Except that one of his students keeps falling asleep 😬. Now, normally this wouldn’t be a big deal if this was in a classroom setting, but the student falls asleep while seeing to patients and working at the hospital, and that’s just unacceptable 🤷♀️. He doesn’t need to know what kind of partying she’s doing to know that she can’t be doing this if she’s serious about becoming a pediatrician 🤷♀️. So he makes an example of her and humiliates her 😬. But he doesn’t know the whole story 😅, and when he finds out, he feels like iiiiissshhh 🫣.
Libby’s (22) a dedicated mom who’s willing to beg, borrow, or steal in order to feed herself and her daughter. She became a teenage mom before she finished high school and her daughter’s dad isn’t in the picture 😬, so she has to do what she’s got to do in order to survive 😅, even if this means that she’ll be very tired or sleepy while being a med student ☹️ during the day. At night, Libby has a job dancing at a prestigious strip club 😅 (I’d say she’s actually just a burlesque dancer 🤷♀️).
One night, Jami’s out with his brother and friends at said strip club when he notices that the main attraction looks kind of familiar 😅 and then all hell breaks loose when he tries to take her off the stage 🤣.
Whoops 🤣
Guess he’ll have some explaining to do 😅🫣.
What I liked:
—the sweet stuff ❤️. So many swoony moments 🫶
—how JP and cavemany Jamie gets 🤣. You best try getting your woman off the stage 🤣 even though she doesn’t know she’s your woman 🤡
—the tension 😅. This is SLOOOOW burn, and I appreciated that
—the little 🔥 we get. First kiss happens at almost 50% and we get one full 🔥 scene at about 60%. I’ll take whatever we get
—calling out the misogyny 🤷♀️. People call strippers slurs yet what do we call the men who GO to the strip clubs?! Exactly 🤷♀️
—how protective Jamie is, and not just with Libby but with Rosie, her daughter too ❤️🫶 love me a man that’s all accepting 🫶
—Rosie ❤️ she gets her own bullet because she’s too adorable 🥹❤️
—the OMD 😈. There’s a man that wants Libby, and Jamie makes sure to stake his claim 😉. This man tries to continue to cause trouble too 😑
—the side characters 👀. I think I’ll try reading the next book in the series 👀
What I didn’t like/wanted more of:
—more 🔥. I was disappointed 😭
—she’s a nonvirgin virgin 🙄. She really only had sex one time before Jamie (when she got pregnant) and that’s it 😒
—Libby not appreciating Jamie’s attempts to make her life better 😑. Look. If I have a wealthier-than-me man offering to have me not work, well, I might just take advantage 🤣🤣🤣. Plus. Her mantra is she’ll beg, borrow, or steal… so… what gives Libby 🤷♀️
—the slow start 😅. It’s probably related to my mood, but it took me a while to really get into this 😭
—Jamie not doing more sooner to help Libby 😅
— how unrealistic some things were 😅. I get it; this is fantasy, a book, but I needed some realism too 😅
—Jamie’s gross brother’s behavior 😑. The fact that his wife doesn’t want him going to strip clubs anymore for whatever reason says something, and nothing’s revealed about what that is or what happened 😵💫. I’m assuming some cheating might’ve happened? All I know is, they needed to be some follow through with this 😑
Overall, I liked it. My mood (and life) might’ve increased my enjoyment of it ever I had just been in the right mood. Oh well. 🫣
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd
-misogyny/sexism
-OMD- there’s OM that wants the h and keeps insisting, even though she says no. He causes drama later in the book.
-condom (in the one sex scene)/no virgins/not a manwhore/the h might as well be a virgin- she’s only been with her daughter’s dad (which was basically a ONS)
-HEA/epilogue/4 years later
February 20, 2018
This one really surprised me, in a good way. Loved the plot, the writing style, brilliant characters - who doesn't love witnessing an alphahole do a 180 and eat crow, and a couple of side characters that have me totally intrigued (I'm looking at you Pav and Millie)!
I did have a couple of niggles though, I think the one fade to black sex scene let the book down a bit. Whilst full on erotica was not needed, I really did need to see some sort of connection between Jamie and Libby. My other niggle was her constant pushing not just Jamie, but everyone away. I get she blamed herself for the situation she was in but come on! When someone holds out a hand to keep you from drowing, you grab that hand and hold the hell on.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Beg, Borrow or Steal and am definitely reading Pav and Millie's book.
I did have a couple of niggles though, I think the one fade to black sex scene let the book down a bit. Whilst full on erotica was not needed, I really did need to see some sort of connection between Jamie and Libby. My other niggle was her constant pushing not just Jamie, but everyone away. I get she blamed herself for the situation she was in but come on! When someone holds out a hand to keep you from drowing, you grab that hand and hold the hell on.
That said, I thoroughly enjoyed Beg, Borrow or Steal and am definitely reading Pav and Millie's book.
June 14, 2020
4 sometimes-ridiculous-mostly-entertaining stars
Song : Lady Marmalade
I've seen this book rec'd so many times in the J/P Facebook group, I just had to see what all the fuss was about.
This is the story of Libby Penny .
Libby is :
⤖ a single mom of a 4 year old tornado of a girl, having been pregnant at 17
⤖ a struggling med student
⤖ a stripper
⤖ a living ad for Star-Wars/GOT
Having to juggle all of these circumstances (food for thought : why do authors feel the need to dump every struggle under the sun on heroines?), Libby ends up falling asleep on her first day of practical teaching, to the utter horror of her teacher, Jamie Grantham.
Jamie is :
⤖ a renowned and well respected anaesthetist
⤖ the medical education director
⤖ a judgemental prick
I liked this book. I liked Jamie's reluctant-at-first-but-yet-undeniable obsession with Libby. The guy is a possessive overbearing asshole who thinks he can control her. IRL, I'd punch him in the family jewels and get the hell away, but in fiction? I'm all over it.
Libby is no pushover, stands up for herself and refuses to be looked down on for her choices. YES GIRL, YOU TELL THEM!
She does what she has to do to support and care for her daughter, and she isn't about to let any knight-in-shining-armor-wannabe judge or shame her.
+++
⤖ Rosie. That child was like a ray of sunshine and the best thing about this book. She's so full of life, she practically jumps off the pages and comes at you with warm cuddles and kissy faces. 😩💜
⤖ The secondary characters were so ridiculous, yet so entertaining. I enjoyed all of their interactions and find myself curious about Millie and Pav, and it seems like there's a book for them, YAY!
⤖ Jamie's pushy possessive moments. So many red flags and so many butterflies. Sigh.
---
⤖ As I've read my fair share of book set in England and never struggled much, I have to admit I did struggle quite a bit with this one, so much so that I'd find myself disconnected from the story at times.
⤖ The last chapter and the whole performance thing made me cringe. It was too cheesy, sweet, happy, ridiculous and things I'm jut not.
All in all, this was an entertaining read.
Song : Lady Marmalade
I've seen this book rec'd so many times in the J/P Facebook group, I just had to see what all the fuss was about.
This is the story of Libby Penny .
Libby is :
⤖ a single mom of a 4 year old tornado of a girl, having been pregnant at 17
⤖ a struggling med student
⤖ a stripper
⤖ a living ad for Star-Wars/GOT
Having to juggle all of these circumstances (food for thought : why do authors feel the need to dump every struggle under the sun on heroines?), Libby ends up falling asleep on her first day of practical teaching, to the utter horror of her teacher, Jamie Grantham.
Jamie is :
⤖ a renowned and well respected anaesthetist
⤖ the medical education director
⤖ a judgemental prick
I liked this book. I liked Jamie's reluctant-at-first-but-yet-undeniable obsession with Libby. The guy is a possessive overbearing asshole who thinks he can control her. IRL, I'd punch him in the family jewels and get the hell away, but in fiction? I'm all over it.
Libby is no pushover, stands up for herself and refuses to be looked down on for her choices. YES GIRL, YOU TELL THEM!
She does what she has to do to support and care for her daughter, and she isn't about to let any knight-in-shining-armor-wannabe judge or shame her.
+++
⤖ Rosie. That child was like a ray of sunshine and the best thing about this book. She's so full of life, she practically jumps off the pages and comes at you with warm cuddles and kissy faces. 😩💜
⤖ The secondary characters were so ridiculous, yet so entertaining. I enjoyed all of their interactions and find myself curious about Millie and Pav, and it seems like there's a book for them, YAY!
⤖ Jamie's pushy possessive moments. So many red flags and so many butterflies. Sigh.
---
⤖ As I've read my fair share of book set in England and never struggled much, I have to admit I did struggle quite a bit with this one, so much so that I'd find myself disconnected from the story at times.
⤖ The last chapter and the whole performance thing made me cringe. It was too cheesy, sweet, happy, ridiculous and things I'm jut not.
All in all, this was an entertaining read.
November 23, 2019
This was so much fun!
Same author as Sticks and Stones with its questionable AH hero, but well done female characters. Here Jamie the heroine is asingle mother-medical student that performs a unique burlesque act at a strip joint. When I say “unique” I don’t mean kinky unless it’s kinky NOT to take your clothes off at a strip joint.
Jamie is strong willed and ]kickass. One of the reviews called her a little too good to be true, but how refreshing to read a female character that doesn’t whine and flop around in her squalid bedsit waiting for a tycoon to come and blackmail her into a makeover, a new wardrobe and jewels. She pushes back a little too much, but gets there in the end. The hero is a judgmental schmuck that needs to and does grow up. But the real kicker of the story is the highly entertaining plot moppet, Rosie. A precocious 4 year old she is hands down the sparkle in the story. She’s not completely unrealistic but is so entertaining I don’t care.
‘Okay, Mummy,’ Rosie said in a stage whisper that for some reason managed to be louder than her normal volume. ‘I’ll be as quiet as a slug.’
‘Um … great. Let’s – ’ ‘
A slug whose been stepped on and all his insides have shot out … so he’s dead. As quiet as that.’
Susie Tate’s writing has a great voice and moves along. There are some editing issues but that’s pass for me when the story is good. Turns that Tate is a physician. So she’s a physician, a parent and finds time to write fun, pithy novels. Hmm.
Forget the generic setting that some books have. This book is quite squarely set in London and has enough slang and location information that I had to look up a few things. The secondary character are well done as well.
‘Oh, I bet he’s from a good family. And a doctor. I knew you’d meet a nice doctor if you went to medical school.’
There went her mother, a staunch feminist, setting back the movement she’d supposedly supported fifty years with one old-fashioned statement.
‘Just you wait till I tell Eileen Martin about this. Always on about her daughter married to a pharmacist. Is he Catholic?’
There is a sweet, schmaltzy moment at the end that adds a fairy tale element to the story. Not for everybody, but I liked it.
Same author as Sticks and Stones with its questionable AH hero, but well done female characters. Here Jamie the heroine is asingle mother-medical student that performs a unique burlesque act at a strip joint. When I say “unique” I don’t mean kinky unless it’s kinky NOT to take your clothes off at a strip joint.
Jamie is strong willed and ]kickass. One of the reviews called her a little too good to be true, but how refreshing to read a female character that doesn’t whine and flop around in her squalid bedsit waiting for a tycoon to come and blackmail her into a makeover, a new wardrobe and jewels. She pushes back a little too much, but gets there in the end. The hero is a judgmental schmuck that needs to and does grow up. But the real kicker of the story is the highly entertaining plot moppet, Rosie. A precocious 4 year old she is hands down the sparkle in the story. She’s not completely unrealistic but is so entertaining I don’t care.
‘Okay, Mummy,’ Rosie said in a stage whisper that for some reason managed to be louder than her normal volume. ‘I’ll be as quiet as a slug.’
‘Um … great. Let’s – ’ ‘
A slug whose been stepped on and all his insides have shot out … so he’s dead. As quiet as that.’
Susie Tate’s writing has a great voice and moves along. There are some editing issues but that’s pass for me when the story is good. Turns that Tate is a physician. So she’s a physician, a parent and finds time to write fun, pithy novels. Hmm.
Forget the generic setting that some books have. This book is quite squarely set in London and has enough slang and location information that I had to look up a few things. The secondary character are well done as well.
‘Oh, I bet he’s from a good family. And a doctor. I knew you’d meet a nice doctor if you went to medical school.’
There went her mother, a staunch feminist, setting back the movement she’d supposedly supported fifty years with one old-fashioned statement.
‘Just you wait till I tell Eileen Martin about this. Always on about her daughter married to a pharmacist. Is he Catholic?’
There is a sweet, schmaltzy moment at the end that adds a fairy tale element to the story. Not for everybody, but I liked it.
August 9, 2022
4 stars. I really ended up enjoying this book, I didn’t have super high expectations going in, which likely helped a lot. 😅
The heroine is a single mom, a medical student, and a stripper (even though she doesn’t get naked, she’s still called a stripper constantly 🙄 to me, she seemed to be more like a burlesque dancer). The doctor in charge of her training, the hero, is a huge dick to her after she falls asleep in front of him a couple of times. They get a rough start to their relationship, but once he finds out that she’s not just partying every night, but working and taking care of her daughter, he starts treating her somewhat better. They slowly get to know each other and the hero falls in love with both the heroine and her daughter. Theres a really sweet HEA ending and a nice epilogue.
There’s quite a bit of sexism and misogyny in this book, but it’s there purposefully, and used by the author to point out double standards between the male and female characters. The hero definitely started out as a pretty major d-bag, but he did get get better and better as the book progressed.
I also really enjoyed the humor and the dialogue in this book. I really don’t have any major complaints… this author’s writing style really just works for me.
The only thing I can really criticize is that some parts of the sexism and misogyny plot-lines felt unrealistic. Like so many men - nearly all of them in this book - were clueless and acting like sexist idiots. Meanwhile all of the women were totally ready to set each of them in their places with a cleverly worded retort. It just didn’t seem at all realistic.
Still, such a good book. I’ve also finished book 3 which I really enjoyed. Books 1&3 are both available in audiobook on hoopla. I’ll be going back to read book 2 soon! Definitely recommend this one, as long as you’re ok with a huge asshole of a hero. The heroine is really strong, so I think she balances his bullshit out quite nicely.
Safe; no virgins, heroine is a single mom who has only had one relationship in highschool and got pregnant, baby daddy is not in the picture at all. Hero not a manwhore, no OW drama, mild OM drama from a guy who the heroine rejected, no scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
The heroine is a single mom, a medical student, and a stripper (even though she doesn’t get naked, she’s still called a stripper constantly 🙄 to me, she seemed to be more like a burlesque dancer). The doctor in charge of her training, the hero, is a huge dick to her after she falls asleep in front of him a couple of times. They get a rough start to their relationship, but once he finds out that she’s not just partying every night, but working and taking care of her daughter, he starts treating her somewhat better. They slowly get to know each other and the hero falls in love with both the heroine and her daughter. Theres a really sweet HEA ending and a nice epilogue.
There’s quite a bit of sexism and misogyny in this book, but it’s there purposefully, and used by the author to point out double standards between the male and female characters. The hero definitely started out as a pretty major d-bag, but he did get get better and better as the book progressed.
I also really enjoyed the humor and the dialogue in this book. I really don’t have any major complaints… this author’s writing style really just works for me.
The only thing I can really criticize is that some parts of the sexism and misogyny plot-lines felt unrealistic. Like so many men - nearly all of them in this book - were clueless and acting like sexist idiots. Meanwhile all of the women were totally ready to set each of them in their places with a cleverly worded retort. It just didn’t seem at all realistic.
Still, such a good book. I’ve also finished book 3 which I really enjoyed. Books 1&3 are both available in audiobook on hoopla. I’ll be going back to read book 2 soon! Definitely recommend this one, as long as you’re ok with a huge asshole of a hero. The heroine is really strong, so I think she balances his bullshit out quite nicely.
Safe; no virgins, heroine is a single mom who has only had one relationship in highschool and got pregnant, baby daddy is not in the picture at all. Hero not a manwhore, no OW drama, mild OM drama from a guy who the heroine rejected, no scenes with OM/OW, no cheating.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2020
I briefly read the book blurb. I love this trope. Professor/student relationship. Sort of. The H, Jamie is a Doctor in a teaching medical center near London, He's in charge of the medical students on rotation in various specialties.
Libby, as the detail blurb explains is in her 3 year of medical school. She's exhausted from working at night in addition to her studies and clinical work at the hospital.
Insta-attraction but both fight it. LIbby is described as gorgeous and Jamie is tall, handsome, brilliant.This is 3rd person POV, so I went with it. Others notice Libby's natural beauty too.
The chemistry between these two builds up and up. For a while, Jamie doesn't know why Libby is so tired. In spite of her obvious fatigue, Libby is a brilliant student with a terrific bedside manner-especially with the children.
I loved the British words/slang. I did have to look up one word: "woodlice" What the heck is that? My kindle dictionary gave some vague definition. I googled it. It's a rolly polly! A sow bug. Those little black bugs that live under rocks! Libby's uber precious/precocious 4 y/o daughter Rosie had woodlice as pets! Sometimes they would roll up and die & then she would get new ones. Rosie is a strong willed little kid. Libby is very good with her but Rosie keeps her on her toes. Eventually Jamie and Rosie meet. Rosie immediately breaks down his hard outer shell. He's a big softy where Rosie is concerned. Jamie's esteem for Libby grows.
The romance is gradual. Libby is hesitant. Jamie is the programme director. He's hesitant to get involved with his student. It doesn't take too long for them to realize they want to be together.
Jamie wants to help Libby. Libby is fiercely independent, Even though the title indicates she'll beg, borrow or steal, Libby declines financial support from Jamie. Jamie grows in his appreciation for Libby and for women- working women especially. Libby sacrifices for her daughter. She wears worn out shoes and clothes. Libby never cuts her long flowing hair. It's almost a character of its own. She puts it up and boing, it comes down & then flows down her back.
I really loved the meeting between Libby and Jamie's sister in law, Amy. Libby lends some support and helps comfort Amy's fussy infant. Amy also has kind words and support for Libby's struggle as a single working mother and her choice of night job. I won't spoil that part since I like how that unfolds in the story.
Great supporting characters:
Rosie-Libby's 4 y/o daughter. She's almost a main character. She was borderline too precious. Rosie and Libby are a team. They are extremely close. This author really writes her dialogue so realistic, IMO.
Dr Morrison (Millie), a radiologist on staff at the medical center. She's a tough nut to crack. Again, I loved how her character is revealed;
Pav, Jamie's best friend. He's no nonsense and is often the voice of reason. He doesn't come from a super affluent family like Jamie. *I'm looking forward to his book-please!
Kira, Libby's bff - also a medical student with Libby. She's OTT most of the time. Very supportive of Libby and Rosie.
Toby- in Libby & Kira's medical school class. He's often paired up with Libby. He's envious of her intelligence, but resents her when she rejects his advances.He seeks revenge. I was more than satisfied at the outcome. Fortunately more attention to Jamie & Libby's story. Jamie defends Libby.
Libby's parents- they help with Rosie when Libby works at night. They're supportive, but Libby's dad has struggled the last few years. Libby's mum is candid about what she thinks. All of the time.
Jamie's parents- Very wealthy. Jamie's mum is funny. Surprising. A little hard to believe their POV and their personalities.
Dan- Jamie's older brother (married to Amy) has a teen son; a son Seb (about Rosie's age); and a fussy baby named Rufus. Dan is a lug head in the first half of the book. He grows- as does Jamie by the end of the book.
Sometimes it takes me a little longer to read a book. That can be a bad thing- struggling to get through.
In this case- the opposite is my experience. I really enjoyed being with these two. I didn't want it to end.
I really appreciate Libby's struggles as a single mom. I got how Jamie had trouble understanding Libby's POV and to truly not look down on her (other) job. The ending was great. One of them brought full circle into the other's "world". Libby's talent outside of medicine is displayed and acknowledged.
There's an HEA- fantastic. Libby's growth is shown too. I loved this book!
Love this author's writing style. Thanks for the ARC from Netgalley.
PS, seton, I always try to write a short review, I failed again LOL. I think that I should NEVER write a book blurb either ... ha ha
Libby, as the detail blurb explains is in her 3 year of medical school. She's exhausted from working at night in addition to her studies and clinical work at the hospital.
Insta-attraction but both fight it. LIbby is described as gorgeous and Jamie is tall, handsome, brilliant.This is 3rd person POV, so I went with it. Others notice Libby's natural beauty too.
The chemistry between these two builds up and up. For a while, Jamie doesn't know why Libby is so tired. In spite of her obvious fatigue, Libby is a brilliant student with a terrific bedside manner-especially with the children.
I loved the British words/slang. I did have to look up one word: "woodlice" What the heck is that? My kindle dictionary gave some vague definition. I googled it. It's a rolly polly! A sow bug. Those little black bugs that live under rocks! Libby's uber precious/precocious 4 y/o daughter Rosie had woodlice as pets! Sometimes they would roll up and die & then she would get new ones. Rosie is a strong willed little kid. Libby is very good with her but Rosie keeps her on her toes. Eventually Jamie and Rosie meet. Rosie immediately breaks down his hard outer shell. He's a big softy where Rosie is concerned. Jamie's esteem for Libby grows.
The romance is gradual. Libby is hesitant. Jamie is the programme director. He's hesitant to get involved with his student. It doesn't take too long for them to realize they want to be together.
Jamie wants to help Libby. Libby is fiercely independent, Even though the title indicates she'll beg, borrow or steal, Libby declines financial support from Jamie. Jamie grows in his appreciation for Libby and for women- working women especially. Libby sacrifices for her daughter. She wears worn out shoes and clothes. Libby never cuts her long flowing hair. It's almost a character of its own. She puts it up and boing, it comes down & then flows down her back.
I really loved the meeting between Libby and Jamie's sister in law, Amy. Libby lends some support and helps comfort Amy's fussy infant. Amy also has kind words and support for Libby's struggle as a single working mother and her choice of night job. I won't spoil that part since I like how that unfolds in the story.
Great supporting characters:
Rosie-Libby's 4 y/o daughter. She's almost a main character. She was borderline too precious. Rosie and Libby are a team. They are extremely close. This author really writes her dialogue so realistic, IMO.
Dr Morrison (Millie), a radiologist on staff at the medical center. She's a tough nut to crack. Again, I loved how her character is revealed;
Pav, Jamie's best friend. He's no nonsense and is often the voice of reason. He doesn't come from a super affluent family like Jamie. *I'm looking forward to his book-please!
Kira, Libby's bff - also a medical student with Libby. She's OTT most of the time. Very supportive of Libby and Rosie.
Toby- in Libby & Kira's medical school class. He's often paired up with Libby. He's envious of her intelligence, but resents her when she rejects his advances.He seeks revenge. I was more than satisfied at the outcome. Fortunately more attention to Jamie & Libby's story. Jamie defends Libby.
Libby's parents- they help with Rosie when Libby works at night. They're supportive, but Libby's dad has struggled the last few years. Libby's mum is candid about what she thinks. All of the time.
Jamie's parents- Very wealthy. Jamie's mum is funny. Surprising. A little hard to believe their POV and their personalities.
Dan- Jamie's older brother (married to Amy) has a teen son; a son Seb (about Rosie's age); and a fussy baby named Rufus. Dan is a lug head in the first half of the book. He grows- as does Jamie by the end of the book.
Sometimes it takes me a little longer to read a book. That can be a bad thing- struggling to get through.
In this case- the opposite is my experience. I really enjoyed being with these two. I didn't want it to end.
I really appreciate Libby's struggles as a single mom. I got how Jamie had trouble understanding Libby's POV and to truly not look down on her (other) job. The ending was great. One of them brought full circle into the other's "world". Libby's talent outside of medicine is displayed and acknowledged.
There's an HEA- fantastic. Libby's growth is shown too. I loved this book!
Love this author's writing style. Thanks for the ARC from Netgalley.
PS, seton, I always try to write a short review, I failed again LOL. I think that I should NEVER write a book blurb either ... ha ha
June 14, 2018
This was a cute and quick read that still had the cute, romantic and dramatic intensity that made me gush and jump around and just keep reading (hello, I only started it a few hours ago and it’s 2AM now sooo...)
Full review to come during waking hours but I absolutely loved Rosie, oh my gosh was she adorable. And if
AND YAAAS MILLIE (sorry I just can’t wait to get my hands on her story too!)
•
Okay, it is no longer 2AM and I have put my thoughts into coherent words that I hope express how much I enjoyed this book!
On the surface, this is a stand-alone romance. Delving deeper, it actually explores the incredibly intricate workings of the human mind and how we think we are seen by others, how we see ourselves and how that those two things impact how we handle our lives, relationships and how we present ourselves. More often than not, if a book explores these themes, it's a long fiction novel which gives a back-back seat to the romance (like, it might as well be in the boot because it's that non-existent). But Tate has done this clever little writing thing where the romance and the serious stuff balance each other out.
I think, in the end, that was the reason I couldn't put it down.
Okay, so characters!
Rosie is my favourite little four-year-old. I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out with a protective little Highness-soon-to-be-Pirate who hordes woodlice?
Jamie, my favourite anethstesist. I want one. Even though he can be an idiot sometimes, his heart is in the right place.
Libby is the problem-solver, survivalist kind of woman. I loved how stubborn she was, and absolutely understood how proud she was about all her hardwork – she gets it from her father! (Gosh, did I love meeting the families! The dynamics were hilarious!)
I also loved loved LOVED Millie. She was that layer of real-ness that wasn't part of a trope or anything and as someone who overthinks things similarly to her, and who know people who are even more like her, I am really really glad that she exists. I hope the next book does her justice!
I know there were heaps of other characters, each bringing their own part to the story (good or bad – yeah, I'm looking at you, Toby) and I am so looking forward to the next story because I really hope we see more about where the characters from Beg, Borrow or Steal are after.
There were no issues with pace or flow for me (obviously) and I felt everything happened for a reason, and rolled into the next action or scene without feeling out of place. I think that mostly occurred because this was standalone and there's no pressure to bring in a continuous story arc for the main characters that roll into others story arcs and character development.
I loved this quick and cute read.
•
4.5/5
•
Provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Full review to come during waking hours but I absolutely loved Rosie, oh my gosh was she adorable. And if
AND YAAAS MILLIE (sorry I just can’t wait to get my hands on her story too!)
•
Okay, it is no longer 2AM and I have put my thoughts into coherent words that I hope express how much I enjoyed this book!
On the surface, this is a stand-alone romance. Delving deeper, it actually explores the incredibly intricate workings of the human mind and how we think we are seen by others, how we see ourselves and how that those two things impact how we handle our lives, relationships and how we present ourselves. More often than not, if a book explores these themes, it's a long fiction novel which gives a back-back seat to the romance (like, it might as well be in the boot because it's that non-existent). But Tate has done this clever little writing thing where the romance and the serious stuff balance each other out.
I think, in the end, that was the reason I couldn't put it down.
Okay, so characters!
Rosie is my favourite little four-year-old. I mean, who wouldn't want to hang out with a protective little Highness-soon-to-be-Pirate who hordes woodlice?
Jamie, my favourite anethstesist. I want one. Even though he can be an idiot sometimes, his heart is in the right place.
Libby is the problem-solver, survivalist kind of woman. I loved how stubborn she was, and absolutely understood how proud she was about all her hardwork – she gets it from her father! (Gosh, did I love meeting the families! The dynamics were hilarious!)
I also loved loved LOVED Millie. She was that layer of real-ness that wasn't part of a trope or anything and as someone who overthinks things similarly to her, and who know people who are even more like her, I am really really glad that she exists. I hope the next book does her justice!
I know there were heaps of other characters, each bringing their own part to the story (good or bad – yeah, I'm looking at you, Toby) and I am so looking forward to the next story because I really hope we see more about where the characters from Beg, Borrow or Steal are after.
There were no issues with pace or flow for me (obviously) and I felt everything happened for a reason, and rolled into the next action or scene without feeling out of place. I think that mostly occurred because this was standalone and there's no pressure to bring in a continuous story arc for the main characters that roll into others story arcs and character development.
I loved this quick and cute read.
•
4.5/5
•
Provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 10, 2017
First - thanks to my GR buddy Alexa for turning me on to this author and notifying me of this new release. When Alexa messaged me that a new book from Susie Tate was scheduled for release, I was excited. I liked Tate's previous books that I've read (I think all of them:)) I have left the author messages indicating that I liked her books. She asked if I would like an advanced copy - even though she knows I am stingy in my star ratings:) What author in their right mind would want me to review one of their books when my average rating is approx. 3.39? So - thank you Susie Tate - I enjoyed this book. 4 stars.
As most of Susie Tate's other books, this one is in a medical setting. Jamie is a Mr. Perfect (and as Alexa would say "buttoned up") doctor who trains students in medical practice. Libby is a beautiful med student with a daughter. She was "knocked up" by her highschool crush/kind of boyfriend at 17 - and left to raise her daughter by herself. Her parents love her, but they are unable to fully provide financial assistance. Feeling as if her looks never helped her get anything but trouble, she decides to use her looks to advance her dreams and goals for a better life for her daughter and herself. With a background as a highschool champion in gymnastics and some ballet training, she becomes a "stripper" - more of an exotic dancer/burlesque star to pay for medical school. She and Rosie (her precocious daughter) live a somewhat harried, stressful, and hand-to-mouth existence. Then Libby ends up in one of Jamie's classes and what ensues is an entertaining ride about two people who are attracted to each other but circumstances and impressions create barriers for them to get to know each other and form a relationship.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Susie Tate book if the side characters weren't just as entertaining as the MCs. Kira is Libby's best friend, staunch ally and supporter. Pav is Jamie's friend who makes sure Jamie pulls his head out once in a while - with hilarious results at Jamie's expense. Also, we see a budding relationship between Pav and Millie (another Doctor on staff) and I can't wait to read Millie and Pav's story. What about Kira? I hope she gets her own story and HEA too!
If you want a insta-attraction but slow-build relationship with funny dialogue and interactions between other characters, read this book. I don't think you will be disappointed. If I read again, I'll bump my star rating.
As most of Susie Tate's other books, this one is in a medical setting. Jamie is a Mr. Perfect (and as Alexa would say "buttoned up") doctor who trains students in medical practice. Libby is a beautiful med student with a daughter. She was "knocked up" by her highschool crush/kind of boyfriend at 17 - and left to raise her daughter by herself. Her parents love her, but they are unable to fully provide financial assistance. Feeling as if her looks never helped her get anything but trouble, she decides to use her looks to advance her dreams and goals for a better life for her daughter and herself. With a background as a highschool champion in gymnastics and some ballet training, she becomes a "stripper" - more of an exotic dancer/burlesque star to pay for medical school. She and Rosie (her precocious daughter) live a somewhat harried, stressful, and hand-to-mouth existence. Then Libby ends up in one of Jamie's classes and what ensues is an entertaining ride about two people who are attracted to each other but circumstances and impressions create barriers for them to get to know each other and form a relationship.
Of course, it wouldn't be a Susie Tate book if the side characters weren't just as entertaining as the MCs. Kira is Libby's best friend, staunch ally and supporter. Pav is Jamie's friend who makes sure Jamie pulls his head out once in a while - with hilarious results at Jamie's expense. Also, we see a budding relationship between Pav and Millie (another Doctor on staff) and I can't wait to read Millie and Pav's story. What about Kira? I hope she gets her own story and HEA too!
If you want a insta-attraction but slow-build relationship with funny dialogue and interactions between other characters, read this book. I don't think you will be disappointed. If I read again, I'll bump my star rating.
June 28, 2018
ah, this story made me twist and turn and fill with mixed feels all over...
At first, i liked the premise, a 22 year old medical student and a single mother trying to cope with the twists and hardships of juggling the parenting and self-education while also doing her very best at making a better life and childhood for her 4 year old daughter, as she works at the men's club dancing...and then, it all kinda gets complicated when she falls asleep at the lectures...and one and only Dr Grantham won't stand that, cause well, it hurts his ego, and then she's also too beautiful, almost surreal and he's attracted to her and that also makes him angry...he has his own issues, it's a forbidden area he can't cross, yet he's unable to stay away from her, but then when he finds out what she does for survival, he turns into a judgemental prick, then possessive caveman, then he realizes his mis-steps in conduct and he grovels when he finally acknowledges the truth about what he is feeling...
well, fuck it...so what I mean?! I am as frustrated, as the heroine was, and yet she gave him the second chance...NO, she gave him so many second chances I stopped counting LOL and the worst thing is, the prick is NOT even written as someone you could completely dislike...*sigh* dammit...lol
yes, Dr Grantham is portrayed as vulnerably humanly possible and all his "stupid male" behavior is, in fact, very credible and understandable for a guy LOL cause yeah, guys are in fact "one-track minded" and kinda "blind" to "see" things the way they are, until you knock them on the head and then all the lights go shining bright and then they turn into the most wonderful, tender, aprehensive and caring creatures...
How can something so simple be so complicated? could be the moto of this story LOL and yet it's actually a perfect portrayal of HOW people react and conduct themselves when met with unknown, unpredicted, and predjudice cast by the society...but then they find their own way, humanly understandable and recognizable, towards the accepting, acknowledging and loving...
and still, this book frustrated the hell out of me...LOL
Apart from the heroine, I especially liked the second cast characters: little girl Rosie was the actual highlight of every scene she was in, which is the most of the book LOL, and Kira, the heroine's best friend, she's no-fillter-at-all outspoken, wild and a bit crazy creature *smirks*
July 6, 2025
DNF at 40% so maybe it gets better and if it does and you finished it then yay…TROOPER AWARD 🥇…. but BLOODY HELL FREAKING DOUCHES OF ALL FREAKING DOUCHE BAGS AND BRUTAL JUST BRUTAL.
‼️This guy was a complete sexist POS snob. He HARSHLY judged the h after knowing her and her life circumstances. After bonding w her and her kid. All cause she was a stripper(if you can call her that 😅)
I mean how did he know she was a stripper? He was there to watch of course and it wasn’t his first time. LISTEN… I like a good misconception trope BUT he knew her bonded w her and her daughter. He was a privileged man w money with an easy life.
‼️BTW SHE WAS NOT ANY KIND OF STRIPPER OR DANCER I KNOW OF and def not ones men would pay big money to see😂😂I was cracking up at all her back flips lol. WORST STRIPPER/DANCE scene ever! And I live in Vegas I’ve seen a lot!
For a moment he felt like he was going to throw up. “I can’t even look at you,” he muttered. “A stripper? What were you thinking?”
”She’s a student, and even if she weren’t, she’s not exactly a girl I can take home to Mum and Dad, is she?” Jamie said, and Libby jerked back from the door sharply, as if she had been slapped. “I mean, not even Dan at his very worst brought a stripper home.”
‼️I mean she is a single Mom and medical student with NO HELP!!!
‼️Then let’s talk about the SAD PATHETIC SAP that the h is. Ugh cry cry woe is me life is so hard h. Ugh. She made me fucking depressed!
‼️And ok so she is a NON VIRGIN VIRGIN. Had sex ONE TIME at 17 and got pregnant so of course men are now off the table FOR LIFE… well that is until a man who treats her like COMPLETE SHIT comes along and then it’s all spread my legs for the second time in ever.
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
‼️This is her first thought after the things he said above
”Three thoughts went through her head simultaneously: number one, he could wear the shit out of a pair of jeans; number two, when he wasn’t shaved for work his thick, dark stubble was a joy to behold; number three, she should never answer the door in her pajamas.” ugh save me please 🙄🙄🙄
🙄I’m sorry… I LOVE alpha men but I DO NOT GET TURNED ON BY A MAN BEING A COMPLETE DEGRADING ASSHOLE TO ME. And YES there is a difference. And if you do like it get some freaking help ok. 👍🏻
‼️Someone fucking save me from this complete and utter Bullshit
This was such sexist fucking bullshit. Even female side characte… smart doctors were reduced to bumbling idiots in the presence of a hot man🙄🙄🙄🙄 gah I need a better eye roll emoji
‼️And of course let’s talk about the 14yr old.. 🤭Opps I ment 4 yrs old daughter. Cause she is definitely the match maker here. And way to Smart for her age and the h wants to say no Rose will say yes and her mom just goes along with it. Fucking hell. Oh her dear mommy can’t say no to her daughter even if it means getting involved w a verbally abusive man. No worries. It’s all good 4 yr old Rose can’t be let down or told no.
Omg was I going back in time to the freaking 1800s gah this book was infuriating and brutal.
Even if I continued there was no saving this for me. It was safe and nothing wrong just not romantic to me at all and not my cupoa
‼️This guy was a complete sexist POS snob. He HARSHLY judged the h after knowing her and her life circumstances. After bonding w her and her kid. All cause she was a stripper(if you can call her that 😅)
I mean how did he know she was a stripper? He was there to watch of course and it wasn’t his first time. LISTEN… I like a good misconception trope BUT he knew her bonded w her and her daughter. He was a privileged man w money with an easy life.
‼️BTW SHE WAS NOT ANY KIND OF STRIPPER OR DANCER I KNOW OF and def not ones men would pay big money to see😂😂I was cracking up at all her back flips lol. WORST STRIPPER/DANCE scene ever! And I live in Vegas I’ve seen a lot!
For a moment he felt like he was going to throw up. “I can’t even look at you,” he muttered. “A stripper? What were you thinking?”
”She’s a student, and even if she weren’t, she’s not exactly a girl I can take home to Mum and Dad, is she?” Jamie said, and Libby jerked back from the door sharply, as if she had been slapped. “I mean, not even Dan at his very worst brought a stripper home.”
‼️I mean she is a single Mom and medical student with NO HELP!!!
‼️Then let’s talk about the SAD PATHETIC SAP that the h is. Ugh cry cry woe is me life is so hard h. Ugh. She made me fucking depressed!
‼️And ok so she is a NON VIRGIN VIRGIN. Had sex ONE TIME at 17 and got pregnant so of course men are now off the table FOR LIFE… well that is until a man who treats her like COMPLETE SHIT comes along and then it’s all spread my legs for the second time in ever.
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
‼️This is her first thought after the things he said above
”Three thoughts went through her head simultaneously: number one, he could wear the shit out of a pair of jeans; number two, when he wasn’t shaved for work his thick, dark stubble was a joy to behold; number three, she should never answer the door in her pajamas.” ugh save me please 🙄🙄🙄
🙄I’m sorry… I LOVE alpha men but I DO NOT GET TURNED ON BY A MAN BEING A COMPLETE DEGRADING ASSHOLE TO ME. And YES there is a difference. And if you do like it get some freaking help ok. 👍🏻
‼️Someone fucking save me from this complete and utter Bullshit
This was such sexist fucking bullshit. Even female side characte… smart doctors were reduced to bumbling idiots in the presence of a hot man🙄🙄🙄🙄 gah I need a better eye roll emoji
‼️And of course let’s talk about the 14yr old.. 🤭Opps I ment 4 yrs old daughter. Cause she is definitely the match maker here. And way to Smart for her age and the h wants to say no Rose will say yes and her mom just goes along with it. Fucking hell. Oh her dear mommy can’t say no to her daughter even if it means getting involved w a verbally abusive man. No worries. It’s all good 4 yr old Rose can’t be let down or told no.
Omg was I going back in time to the freaking 1800s gah this book was infuriating and brutal.
Even if I continued there was no saving this for me. It was safe and nothing wrong just not romantic to me at all and not my cupoa
January 2, 2018
So... This was bad. I usually read fluffy romances in about a day, but this got me struggling very hard to finish.
My problem with this book is that it doesn't have a conflict. The protagonist is perfect to an unbearable level (star wars curse words? come on) and everyone around her just magically falls in love with her (a character even mentions this to her at some point).
Her daughter is just a spoiled annoying brat and without any limits whatsoever - and are we supposed to find this endearing?
And Jamie is just a generic love interest with no past and no personality - even his family is bland and just miraculously embrace the protagonist because she is so perfect.
Yeah... I may sound a little bit bitter, but after reading only glowing reviews for this book, I'm very sad to say that no - I don't recommend this at all.
I would suggest that the author gives some depth and personality to her characters, creating real life problems, not just "I'm so perfect and independent and everybody loves me" problems.
My problem with this book is that it doesn't have a conflict. The protagonist is perfect to an unbearable level (star wars curse words? come on) and everyone around her just magically falls in love with her (a character even mentions this to her at some point).
Her daughter is just a spoiled annoying brat and without any limits whatsoever - and are we supposed to find this endearing?
And Jamie is just a generic love interest with no past and no personality - even his family is bland and just miraculously embrace the protagonist because she is so perfect.
Yeah... I may sound a little bit bitter, but after reading only glowing reviews for this book, I'm very sad to say that no - I don't recommend this at all.
I would suggest that the author gives some depth and personality to her characters, creating real life problems, not just "I'm so perfect and independent and everybody loves me" problems.
September 5, 2018
Another enjoyable outing with Susie Tate. She is a doctor, so her hospital based romances have a true ring to them. This story was more polished as far as editing. The only niggle was that the little girl, while adorable, acted more like a 7-8 year old than a 4 year old. I suppose an older child didn't work with her timeline of a young med student.
Basic plot. Libby is a 22 year old med student from a working class background. She got pregnant at 17 after a disappointing tryst with the "cool boy in school" and has been trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter ever since.
She took a lot of gymnastics as a girl and found out she could make a living as a stripper/burlesque dancer while she put herself through med school. She has avoided men since her pregnancy and pretty much works herself to death. She's the poor but proud type.
The hero, Jamie, is a 30 something anesthesiologist and teacher in her med program. He is immediately drawn to Libby because of her stunning beauty. He's sort of uptight and from a rich background so he makes some ugly assumptions about Libby's tiredness (thinks she must be a party girl). When he learns of her night job he has a jealous freak out.
They have to get past his snobbery and her stubborn pride to get to their HEA.
Overall cute and fun with some hero asshattery thrown in for spice.
Basic plot. Libby is a 22 year old med student from a working class background. She got pregnant at 17 after a disappointing tryst with the "cool boy in school" and has been trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter ever since.
She took a lot of gymnastics as a girl and found out she could make a living as a stripper/burlesque dancer while she put herself through med school. She has avoided men since her pregnancy and pretty much works herself to death. She's the poor but proud type.
The hero, Jamie, is a 30 something anesthesiologist and teacher in her med program. He is immediately drawn to Libby because of her stunning beauty. He's sort of uptight and from a rich background so he makes some ugly assumptions about Libby's tiredness (thinks she must be a party girl). When he learns of her night job he has a jealous freak out.
They have to get past his snobbery and her stubborn pride to get to their HEA.
Overall cute and fun with some hero asshattery thrown in for spice.
February 12, 2021
This ia super good! Super sweet. The moral story is do not judge the book by it's cover. The chemistry between Jamie and Libby is just over the top. Their slow burn romance is just addicting.
The banter is sweet and funny. I listened to the audiobook in 1 seating. Now my back is painful. Beg, Borrow or Steal is just takes me by surprise considering this is my first read by Miss Tate.
Definetly looking forward to her other book.
5 stars
The banter is sweet and funny. I listened to the audiobook in 1 seating. Now my back is painful. Beg, Borrow or Steal is just takes me by surprise considering this is my first read by Miss Tate.
Definetly looking forward to her other book.
5 stars
avoid
April 29, 2023Self note pet peeves
- single mom h (H not the father)
- stripper h who doesn’t actually strip 🙄
- single mom h (H not the father)
- stripper h who doesn’t actually strip 🙄
November 15, 2017
You can find this review and more on my blog!
https://mariannascorner.wordpress.com...
I did not expect this.
I honestly thought this would be a mediocre romance blah blah blah. Thank God I was wrong, this was anything but mediocre!
This is a romance novel. It follows Libby as she struggles to get her medical degree while raising a kid by herself. The thing I immensely liked is that even though this is a romance novel as I said, it is not all about love and rainbows. It deals with some pretty heavy topics such as being a single mother and trying to overcome poverty by any means necessary with no shame in order to be able to provide for yourself and your child, all the while trying to get a degree.
Libby is a stripper. And she is a damn good one. I LOVED how strippers were portrayed in this book. They were not treated as low life insects nor were they shamed (as we’ve seen numerous times in media) but on the contrary they were treated with the respect they deserve. And if sometime dared shaming them, the author with her own way without spoon feeding us (you know what I’m talking about, those huge educational monologues that I hate)- showed to the reader that this attitude is wrong. Same goes with the single mother representation. Libby is strong, independent and a damn good mother.
This wraps up the social issues challenged in this book. Now let’s move on to the fun stuff! ( characters + romance he he he)
I LOVED LIBBY! In case you didn’t catch that from the two paragraphs above I absolutely love Libby. She is a goddess. And her daughter???? My God she was the cutest demon child you gave ever read about! Rosie is one of those children that you love having around for an hour or two but are hell if you are actually one of the parents and have to deal with them every single hour of every single day? Yep you know what type of child I’m talking about!
Anyway, Beg, Borrow or Steal features two tropes:
age gap (the guy is 34 – I think and Libby is 21)
BOSS-EMPLOYEE / TEACHER-STUDENT ROMANCE (Y E S)
Overprotective alpha male (I was a little iffy about this one cause I don’t really like this trope, but I have to admit it was done well. Personally it is not my cup of tea but if you like that I think Jamie will appeal to you!)
That last one brings me to Jamie, the love interest (I swear I’m almost done). I don’t know what to feel about Jamie. In the beginning he is a judgmental a-hole and continuous to be one for the majority of the book. He has his moments though, and undergoes character development but he still has that alpha male vibe to him that I dislike, so he was only alright for me I’ll conclude. Final verdict: he is alright duuun.
I left the best for the best.
JAMIE’S BEST FRIEND IS A GREEK GUY AND HE IS EVERYTHING!
I’ve never in my entire life read about a greek character with a greek name and greek heritage and greek characteristics (you get what I’m trying to say) in a book before! His name is Pavlos and guess what?????? HE IS GETTING HIS OWN BOOK! A ROMANCE NOVEL WHERE THE PROTAGONIST IS GREEK SORRY FOR THE CAPS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This alone made me forgive the fact there is no diversity whatsoever in here. Not a single POC. This is completely for personal reasons and I’m sure people who are not Greek will find this problematic (and it is) but I’m letting this one slide for once because GREEK! GUY!
Final thoughts: Beg, Borrow or Steal is a romance novel that makes you swoon but also passes along great messages. Definitely recommend!
I received this e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
https://mariannascorner.wordpress.com...
I did not expect this.
I honestly thought this would be a mediocre romance blah blah blah. Thank God I was wrong, this was anything but mediocre!
This is a romance novel. It follows Libby as she struggles to get her medical degree while raising a kid by herself. The thing I immensely liked is that even though this is a romance novel as I said, it is not all about love and rainbows. It deals with some pretty heavy topics such as being a single mother and trying to overcome poverty by any means necessary with no shame in order to be able to provide for yourself and your child, all the while trying to get a degree.
Libby is a stripper. And she is a damn good one. I LOVED how strippers were portrayed in this book. They were not treated as low life insects nor were they shamed (as we’ve seen numerous times in media) but on the contrary they were treated with the respect they deserve. And if sometime dared shaming them, the author with her own way without spoon feeding us (you know what I’m talking about, those huge educational monologues that I hate)- showed to the reader that this attitude is wrong. Same goes with the single mother representation. Libby is strong, independent and a damn good mother.
This wraps up the social issues challenged in this book. Now let’s move on to the fun stuff! ( characters + romance he he he)
I LOVED LIBBY! In case you didn’t catch that from the two paragraphs above I absolutely love Libby. She is a goddess. And her daughter???? My God she was the cutest demon child you gave ever read about! Rosie is one of those children that you love having around for an hour or two but are hell if you are actually one of the parents and have to deal with them every single hour of every single day? Yep you know what type of child I’m talking about!
Anyway, Beg, Borrow or Steal features two tropes:
age gap (the guy is 34 – I think and Libby is 21)
BOSS-EMPLOYEE / TEACHER-STUDENT ROMANCE (Y E S)
Overprotective alpha male (I was a little iffy about this one cause I don’t really like this trope, but I have to admit it was done well. Personally it is not my cup of tea but if you like that I think Jamie will appeal to you!)
That last one brings me to Jamie, the love interest (I swear I’m almost done). I don’t know what to feel about Jamie. In the beginning he is a judgmental a-hole and continuous to be one for the majority of the book. He has his moments though, and undergoes character development but he still has that alpha male vibe to him that I dislike, so he was only alright for me I’ll conclude. Final verdict: he is alright duuun.
I left the best for the best.
JAMIE’S BEST FRIEND IS A GREEK GUY AND HE IS EVERYTHING!
I’ve never in my entire life read about a greek character with a greek name and greek heritage and greek characteristics (you get what I’m trying to say) in a book before! His name is Pavlos and guess what?????? HE IS GETTING HIS OWN BOOK! A ROMANCE NOVEL WHERE THE PROTAGONIST IS GREEK SORRY FOR THE CAPS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This alone made me forgive the fact there is no diversity whatsoever in here. Not a single POC. This is completely for personal reasons and I’m sure people who are not Greek will find this problematic (and it is) but I’m letting this one slide for once because GREEK! GUY!
Final thoughts: Beg, Borrow or Steal is a romance novel that makes you swoon but also passes along great messages. Definitely recommend!
I received this e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
April 16, 2022
This is a cute and funny romance novel. I rarely read books in a series out of order, but I read Limits (the second in this series) a month ago because the plotline appealed to me (heroine with extreme anxiety), and I loved Libby and Jamie so much that I decided to give this book a go! While this wasn’t my favourite by Susie Tate, I enjoyed it quite a bit. Libby’s daughter, Rosie, steals every scene she’s in, and the precocious things she says and does are just so darn cute. I’ve said this in my other reviews of Tate’s works, but I’ll say it again - I love the hospital settings and how authentic both the medical talk and the dynamics of how a UK hospital works comes across in the writing. It’s really quite refreshing to read a romance novel in this type of unconventional setting, AND for it to be written in a smart way that doesn’t get too bogged down with technical stuff.
A solid four stars from me!
A solid four stars from me!
October 17, 2017
From the synopsis, I expected this was going to be a steamy new adult contemporary with a naughty tone, which was a wrong assumption because it was more on the cute and heart-warming side. (Not one proper sex scene, though, which was slightly disappointing, haha.)
We follow Libby, a 22-year-old medical student with a 4-year-old daughter, and her daily struggles to juggle her studies (now taking place in a hospital), raising her kid and working weekends to make ends meet. Her path crosses with Jamie, her teacher/boss, whose mission soon becomes to protect Libby and "save" her from the current way of life full of frustration and exhaustion.
The writing style was straightforward with an emphasis on dialogues; not much long descriptions of anything, including the characters' inner worlds. In fact, the characters were a bit too much black and white for my taste. I mean, Libby was practically an angel. (She was supposed to have a "morally grey" job, but come on, she was doing . Her daughter was surprisingly not annoying. Jamie was acting like a dick for like ten minutes. Ok, maybe fifteen. There were also a few instances of a character's development, but the change in their actions was rather abrupt. I enjoyed Millie's character and her role in the story. There was a preview of Millie and Pav's story at the end, which I'm interested in.
The plot felt like a modern fairy tale: the evil was punished and we got the promised happily ever after ending for the good guys. The pace was quite slow for the most part, which I didn't mind.
Btw., a funny Libby's line: "He's ... I don't know ... thirty or something." The horror. :- D (This was a reaction to her friend referring to Jamie as a boy, but still.)
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, recommendable to people who like light and heart-warming contemporaries.
(I got this book from the Read Now section of Netgalley.com, which means anyone can read this right now after signing up.)
We follow Libby, a 22-year-old medical student with a 4-year-old daughter, and her daily struggles to juggle her studies (now taking place in a hospital), raising her kid and working weekends to make ends meet. Her path crosses with Jamie, her teacher/boss, whose mission soon becomes to protect Libby and "save" her from the current way of life full of frustration and exhaustion.
The writing style was straightforward with an emphasis on dialogues; not much long descriptions of anything, including the characters' inner worlds. In fact, the characters were a bit too much black and white for my taste. I mean, Libby was practically an angel. (She was supposed to have a "morally grey" job, but come on, she was doing . Her daughter was surprisingly not annoying. Jamie was acting like a dick for like ten minutes. Ok, maybe fifteen. There were also a few instances of a character's development, but the change in their actions was rather abrupt. I enjoyed Millie's character and her role in the story. There was a preview of Millie and Pav's story at the end, which I'm interested in.
The plot felt like a modern fairy tale: the evil was punished and we got the promised happily ever after ending for the good guys. The pace was quite slow for the most part, which I didn't mind.
Btw., a funny Libby's line: "He's ... I don't know ... thirty or something." The horror. :- D (This was a reaction to her friend referring to Jamie as a boy, but still.)
Overall, this was an enjoyable read, recommendable to people who like light and heart-warming contemporaries.
(I got this book from the Read Now section of Netgalley.com, which means anyone can read this right now after signing up.)
September 4, 2019
I got an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review :) this was my first ever story written by this author, and what a wonderful start it turned out to be :) I really loved it and ultimately gave it 4,5 stars :) it's a standalone, but here and there you can catch glimpses about a possible couple in a future book... which is then confirmed in a sneak peek at the very end of this story :) but more about that in a second... because for now, let's concentrate on our main characters... :)
So what can I say to you about Libby and Jamie... :) Jamie is a doctor and a teacher / coordinator in one of the programs for medical students... there is of course a profesional term for all of that, but I don't want to mess it up, so we'll go with my simple explanation... ;) he comes from a wealthy family and seems to be a walking perfection... but don't be fooled by this facade, there's more to him... I'm not gonna spoil you certain details about him, but let's just say that not everything is what it seems... which is even more true when it comes to Libby :) *sighs* I loved her... yes, she was stubborn and there were times when I wanted her to act differently, but to be honest... both her and Jamie were awesomely flawed... is that even a word...? awesomely? oh well, we're just gonna go with it either way ;) she's one of the medical students in Jamie's program and she definitely doesn't make the best first impression on him when she falls asleep during one of his lectures... yeah... but when you are a single mother that is supporting yourself and your young daughter, things happen... I adored how tenacious and hardworking she was... I respected all decisions she made so she could take care of her little girl as best as she could... theirs is a relationship that builds slowly over time, and then it sort of explodes... :) I don't really want to get into too many details, but I definitely enjoyed them together... yes, both of them were stubborn at times and made mistakes... and sometimes were judgemental when they really shouldn't... *coughs* Jamie *coughs* but ultimately I forgave them for all of that, because they were wonderfully human in all of it... :)
Now when it comes to secondary characters in this story... oh, there were so many gems in it... :) I'm just gonna name a few, but much more awesomeness awaits for you within the pages ;) first and foremost... Rosie, Libby's daughter... :) she's about four years old and just... such a blast to be around ;) I mean, come on... her favourite plush toy is a spider named Alan :) and that's just one of many reasons why this little girl stole my heart... :) then we have Kira, Libby's crazy friend... I can definitely see a potential for her to get a story sometime in the future... but what I am most excited about is the couple from the next book from this author... Pav and Millie :) Pav is Jamie's friend and a surgeon... he's confident and charming and Millie is... well... at first she seems cold and distant... but there is a reason why she acts this way... and the more I got to know about her, the more excited I was that she will be the heroine of another book... especially with Pav :) *squeels with exctement* I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on that novel :)
All in all I was very pleasantly surprised by this book :) every time I try out a novel written by a completely new to me author, it's a gamble... even if it was recommended by a trusted source you never really know how you will feel about it :) but this one was a lovely surprise... the writing style was engaging and entertaining... chapters just flew by :) and that epilogue... *sighs happily* :) you are gonna love it :) definitely give this beautiful book a try :)
XOXO
A
So what can I say to you about Libby and Jamie... :) Jamie is a doctor and a teacher / coordinator in one of the programs for medical students... there is of course a profesional term for all of that, but I don't want to mess it up, so we'll go with my simple explanation... ;) he comes from a wealthy family and seems to be a walking perfection... but don't be fooled by this facade, there's more to him... I'm not gonna spoil you certain details about him, but let's just say that not everything is what it seems... which is even more true when it comes to Libby :) *sighs* I loved her... yes, she was stubborn and there were times when I wanted her to act differently, but to be honest... both her and Jamie were awesomely flawed... is that even a word...? awesomely? oh well, we're just gonna go with it either way ;) she's one of the medical students in Jamie's program and she definitely doesn't make the best first impression on him when she falls asleep during one of his lectures... yeah... but when you are a single mother that is supporting yourself and your young daughter, things happen... I adored how tenacious and hardworking she was... I respected all decisions she made so she could take care of her little girl as best as she could... theirs is a relationship that builds slowly over time, and then it sort of explodes... :) I don't really want to get into too many details, but I definitely enjoyed them together... yes, both of them were stubborn at times and made mistakes... and sometimes were judgemental when they really shouldn't... *coughs* Jamie *coughs* but ultimately I forgave them for all of that, because they were wonderfully human in all of it... :)
Now when it comes to secondary characters in this story... oh, there were so many gems in it... :) I'm just gonna name a few, but much more awesomeness awaits for you within the pages ;) first and foremost... Rosie, Libby's daughter... :) she's about four years old and just... such a blast to be around ;) I mean, come on... her favourite plush toy is a spider named Alan :) and that's just one of many reasons why this little girl stole my heart... :) then we have Kira, Libby's crazy friend... I can definitely see a potential for her to get a story sometime in the future... but what I am most excited about is the couple from the next book from this author... Pav and Millie :) Pav is Jamie's friend and a surgeon... he's confident and charming and Millie is... well... at first she seems cold and distant... but there is a reason why she acts this way... and the more I got to know about her, the more excited I was that she will be the heroine of another book... especially with Pav :) *squeels with exctement* I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on that novel :)
All in all I was very pleasantly surprised by this book :) every time I try out a novel written by a completely new to me author, it's a gamble... even if it was recommended by a trusted source you never really know how you will feel about it :) but this one was a lovely surprise... the writing style was engaging and entertaining... chapters just flew by :) and that epilogue... *sighs happily* :) you are gonna love it :) definitely give this beautiful book a try :)
XOXO
A
September 15, 2017
I love Susie Tate's Broken Heart novels and couldn't believe my luck when I saw this one available on NetGalley - a rabid dog couldn't have lunged harder than I did for that request button! Susie writes humorous romances set against the backdrop of British hospitals, as a General Practitioner she knows her stuff and her novels are full of medical terms and puns - but please don't let that put you off because she can also be knicker-wettingly funny.
Jamie Grantham is a young successful anaesthetist and Medical Education Director at a London Hospital. He is pretty proud of himself for being a fun, engaged kind of guy so he is beyond irritated to see that one of the students in the back row of the lecture hall is asleep during his lecture. When he wakes her (in a rather sarcastic and unkind way) he is shocked that this young girl, dressed like a bag-lady, is the most arrestingly beautiful woman he has ever seen.
Libby Penny is struggling to keep her head above water. A single mother with an enchanting but ferociously precocious four year old daughter she is trying to balance training to be a doctor with caring for her daughter and earning a living the only way she can. At first Dr Grantham is openly dismissive of her, particularly scathing about her repeatedly falling asleep whilst he is teaching but when he comes face to face (well small foot to shin) with Libby's daughter Rosie all the pieces start to fall into place. Gradually Jamie tries to insert himself into Libby's life but having been brought up in a wealthy family he really doesn't understand the issues Libby faces or the choices she has to make.
Love, love, loved it. Jamie is well-meaning but his own childhood has made him aspire to be Peter Perfect in every way and Libby's choices don't always gel with that conditioning. Libby is such a contradiction, a stunningly beautiful woman who is also a sci-fi nerd and has no interest in clothes or make-up, a devoted mother, former athlete and brilliant student. Even the ancillary cast are great. I am so thrilled at the very quick sneak peak at Millie and Pav's story as they were both strong ancillary characters that I wanted to know more about.
If you've read the Broken Heart quartet I would say this is slightly less 'quirky', although there are still some brilliantly funny lines, but if you loved those books then I'm sure you will love this too. Heck, I stayed up until 3:30 am to finish reading this when I have a really busy day at work today!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Jamie Grantham is a young successful anaesthetist and Medical Education Director at a London Hospital. He is pretty proud of himself for being a fun, engaged kind of guy so he is beyond irritated to see that one of the students in the back row of the lecture hall is asleep during his lecture. When he wakes her (in a rather sarcastic and unkind way) he is shocked that this young girl, dressed like a bag-lady, is the most arrestingly beautiful woman he has ever seen.
Libby Penny is struggling to keep her head above water. A single mother with an enchanting but ferociously precocious four year old daughter she is trying to balance training to be a doctor with caring for her daughter and earning a living the only way she can. At first Dr Grantham is openly dismissive of her, particularly scathing about her repeatedly falling asleep whilst he is teaching but when he comes face to face (well small foot to shin) with Libby's daughter Rosie all the pieces start to fall into place. Gradually Jamie tries to insert himself into Libby's life but having been brought up in a wealthy family he really doesn't understand the issues Libby faces or the choices she has to make.
Love, love, loved it. Jamie is well-meaning but his own childhood has made him aspire to be Peter Perfect in every way and Libby's choices don't always gel with that conditioning. Libby is such a contradiction, a stunningly beautiful woman who is also a sci-fi nerd and has no interest in clothes or make-up, a devoted mother, former athlete and brilliant student. Even the ancillary cast are great. I am so thrilled at the very quick sneak peak at Millie and Pav's story as they were both strong ancillary characters that I wanted to know more about.
If you've read the Broken Heart quartet I would say this is slightly less 'quirky', although there are still some brilliantly funny lines, but if you loved those books then I'm sure you will love this too. Heck, I stayed up until 3:30 am to finish reading this when I have a really busy day at work today!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
October 5, 2017
3.75 - 4 stars
I've read a few Susie Tate books and have mostly enjoyed them. This one was just as engaging but I struggled with the same thing I have with the others: the hero. He's not all bad, and I totally believed in the HEA by the end. My only problem is he was such a judgemental piece of shit that I wanted to smack him upside the head several times over. How many chances does one guy get? Just because he had such a cushy life and has no idea what it means to struggle, doesn't mean he gets to shit all over the choices others make to ensure they (and their loved ones) can keep a roof over their bloody heads! And he didn't just do it once or twice, but over and over. Hell, his dad even got in on it. But it just seemed like the hero realises he shouldn't have said what he said, apologises and then a week later, they're right back to where they were. Like I said, I believed he loved her and he was all about her, but he said some really shitty things! She would take him to task, but then back down when he would find some way to make her stay.
So while he wasn't my favourite I did like the heroine . But I absolutely loved the side characters! Kira was a kick-arse friend who always had her back...not one of these pretend friends you often see in books lately. I also loved Millie and Pav and absolutely can't wait to read their story!
*Netgalley ARC*
I've read a few Susie Tate books and have mostly enjoyed them. This one was just as engaging but I struggled with the same thing I have with the others: the hero. He's not all bad, and I totally believed in the HEA by the end. My only problem is he was such a judgemental piece of shit that I wanted to smack him upside the head several times over. How many chances does one guy get? Just because he had such a cushy life and has no idea what it means to struggle, doesn't mean he gets to shit all over the choices others make to ensure they (and their loved ones) can keep a roof over their bloody heads! And he didn't just do it once or twice, but over and over. Hell, his dad even got in on it. But it just seemed like the hero realises he shouldn't have said what he said, apologises and then a week later, they're right back to where they were. Like I said, I believed he loved her and he was all about her, but he said some really shitty things! She would take him to task, but then back down when he would find some way to make her stay.
So while he wasn't my favourite I did like the heroine . But I absolutely loved the side characters! Kira was a kick-arse friend who always had her back...not one of these pretend friends you often see in books lately. I also loved Millie and Pav and absolutely can't wait to read their story!
*Netgalley ARC*
August 18, 2022
3.3 stars. I may need to redo my review but here are my cluttered thoughts just after finishing.
I feel like me and the main character were emotionally beat up at the end of this book. I enjoyed it mostly but won’t pursue books by this author again.
I saw something about the male character being a jerk. And it didn’t seem like that way until a good way into the book where he keeps trying to control her.
I felt like I got pummeled over the head with “she’s a stripper”. And she has both people that over the top treat her badly (including the hero), and over the top treat her well.
I do love her kid who loves bugs and smooshing people’s faces when she meets them. She definitely wins people over well.
How many times did the hero and others in this book describe her and start with “she’s beautiful”.
I feel like the drama is a bit over the top and people lie to the heroine or don’t resolve issues in a gentle straightforward way so we can have a “grand” gesture. But it just feels a bit emotionally abusive.
There was plenty to enjoy about this, including the great narrator for the audiobook. But I didn’t feel like the payoff matched the pain.
I feel like me and the main character were emotionally beat up at the end of this book. I enjoyed it mostly but won’t pursue books by this author again.
I saw something about the male character being a jerk. And it didn’t seem like that way until a good way into the book where he keeps trying to control her.
I felt like I got pummeled over the head with “she’s a stripper”. And she has both people that over the top treat her badly (including the hero), and over the top treat her well.
I do love her kid who loves bugs and smooshing people’s faces when she meets them. She definitely wins people over well.
How many times did the hero and others in this book describe her and start with “she’s beautiful”.
I feel like the drama is a bit over the top and people lie to the heroine or don’t resolve issues in a gentle straightforward way so we can have a “grand” gesture. But it just feels a bit emotionally abusive.
There was plenty to enjoy about this, including the great narrator for the audiobook. But I didn’t feel like the payoff matched the pain.
December 26, 2017
I adored this book, a young mum's struggle to do anything and everything she can to give her child the life and future she deserves, even if that means burning the candle at both ends. Libby wasn't living the life she had planned, but she was living the life she had been dealt and she made sure that her daughter wanted for nothing. Holding down jobs while putting herself through medical school was exhausting and at some point she was going to burn out.
This is kind of a student/teacher and while both try to fight it, resistance is futile. Jamie was a complete ass in the beginning, but you knew it was because he was trying to fight with himself. However, once he realises Libby's predicament, the change in him is unbelievable and totally swoon worthy.
This is kind of a student/teacher and while both try to fight it, resistance is futile. Jamie was a complete ass in the beginning, but you knew it was because he was trying to fight with himself. However, once he realises Libby's predicament, the change in him is unbelievable and totally swoon worthy.
‘Mummy likes kisses and cuddles all the time.’ This was accompanied by a way-to-advanced-for-her-age eye-roll before she went on to say: ‘It’s good you can help. Sometimes I’m too busy.’
August 18, 2024
I can’t STAND stubborn as fuck h’s, they’re the bane of my existence. And the couple didn’t have barely any page time together for like a good 35%+ of the book
November 27, 2024
I read back a few months Limits first and I was eager to read Libby's story. But it wasn't as I expected. It seemed quite uninteresting
February 12, 2019
Great story, but had trouble with the foreign slang
Libby is a medical student and is struggling keeping awake in her studies because she has a 4 year old daughter and is also dancing on the weekends to survive financially. Jamie is the instructor and finds Libby asleep a few times as he is trying to teach her and this makes him need that he embarrasses her in front of her classmates and colleagues.
The story was really good, but the reason I didn't give this one a higher rating is because I didn't understand half of the words - not just because of the medical terms, but I think it is because the author is English (?) and uses a lot of slang. For example, I didn't understand what A&E was since it wasn't explained in the book. After a few times that this term came up I had to do some research as to what it meant because I didn't understand the context and it seemed important to the story because it was used numerous times. It actually stands for Accident & Emergency, which is Emergency or Emergency Room in the States. But who's to say even the English would understand that? It would be nice if a quick explanation was given after the first time this term came up. Another one I didn't understand was MOT. I liked into this also and, though I didn't find out what the acronyms stand for I think out has somethings to do with the safety of a car. I just hate taking time off of reading the book to look up terms so I can better understand the context of it within the story.
There were many instances like this in the book and I almost put the book in my DNF (Did No Finish - see, how easy was that!?!?) pile and move on to another book, but I stuck it out and I'm glad I did because the actual story was pretty good. The secondary characters were great like Rosie, Kiki, and Pav. I love how the author gives them depth in a few sentences like Giles, Jamie's dad, who is initially a jerk, but we understand because he is protective of Jamie and didn't really understand what was going on when he met Libby - the hearing aid part was particularly funny.
I really liked this story, but wished the author would have a care for her reader audience and understand that not all of us will understand the local terms and some clarification is needed. Not an in-depth explanation, but just a quick blurb. Not all of us are English and not ask of us are English medical professionals. But this won't deter me from reading the next book with Pav and Millie aka Nuclear Winter.
Libby is a medical student and is struggling keeping awake in her studies because she has a 4 year old daughter and is also dancing on the weekends to survive financially. Jamie is the instructor and finds Libby asleep a few times as he is trying to teach her and this makes him need that he embarrasses her in front of her classmates and colleagues.
The story was really good, but the reason I didn't give this one a higher rating is because I didn't understand half of the words - not just because of the medical terms, but I think it is because the author is English (?) and uses a lot of slang. For example, I didn't understand what A&E was since it wasn't explained in the book. After a few times that this term came up I had to do some research as to what it meant because I didn't understand the context and it seemed important to the story because it was used numerous times. It actually stands for Accident & Emergency, which is Emergency or Emergency Room in the States. But who's to say even the English would understand that? It would be nice if a quick explanation was given after the first time this term came up. Another one I didn't understand was MOT. I liked into this also and, though I didn't find out what the acronyms stand for I think out has somethings to do with the safety of a car. I just hate taking time off of reading the book to look up terms so I can better understand the context of it within the story.
There were many instances like this in the book and I almost put the book in my DNF (Did No Finish - see, how easy was that!?!?) pile and move on to another book, but I stuck it out and I'm glad I did because the actual story was pretty good. The secondary characters were great like Rosie, Kiki, and Pav. I love how the author gives them depth in a few sentences like Giles, Jamie's dad, who is initially a jerk, but we understand because he is protective of Jamie and didn't really understand what was going on when he met Libby - the hearing aid part was particularly funny.
I really liked this story, but wished the author would have a care for her reader audience and understand that not all of us will understand the local terms and some clarification is needed. Not an in-depth explanation, but just a quick blurb. Not all of us are English and not ask of us are English medical professionals. But this won't deter me from reading the next book with Pav and Millie aka Nuclear Winter.
November 7, 2018
3.5
Pretty to but the wheels fell off towards the end for me, too ott.
Complete story and available on ku.
Pretty to but the wheels fell off towards the end for me, too ott.
Complete story and available on ku.
April 28, 2020
A single mother - Libby is working part time to ensure she can pay the rent and med school bills, she's also training to work as a doctor and trying to ensure her little girl doesn't miss out on anything. To say Libby has her hands full is no understatement, but when she falls asleep due to understandable exhaustion and gains the attention of a doctor (Jamie), she finds herself dealing with another issue - her unwanted attraction to him and his habit of telling her off and judging her when he doesn't know everything.
There were moments where I did want to whack Jamie, honestly at times he really was an idiot in how he acted/treated Libby. I wanted some sort of scene where there was a deep realisation of his behaviour/attitude, yes he realises he was wrong but the realisation didn't satisfy me.
The book involves insta-attraction which both try to avoid to no avail.
Wasn't entirely keen on what I think were the Star Wars curses Libby used, but that's just me, I'm more of Star Trek fan so had to google to work it out.
As always I liked Rosie, she's one charming kid.
A re-read and an easy one at that. Helped me get out of my head for a bit.
There were moments where I did want to whack Jamie, honestly at times he really was an idiot in how he acted/treated Libby. I wanted some sort of scene where there was a deep realisation of his behaviour/attitude, yes he realises he was wrong but the realisation didn't satisfy me.
The book involves insta-attraction which both try to avoid to no avail.
Wasn't entirely keen on what I think were the Star Wars curses Libby used, but that's just me, I'm more of Star Trek fan so had to google to work it out.
As always I liked Rosie, she's one charming kid.
A re-read and an easy one at that. Helped me get out of my head for a bit.
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