Friday, November 22, 2013

Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Best Laid Plans by Tamara Mataya

~ Synopsis ~


Jayne Griffin isn’t looking for Mr. Right. She’s looking for Mr. RTFN and a toe-curling good time. She’s got the brains, the powerful job as a futures broker, and thanks to a makeover and a thin book of dating advice, the confidence to turn any man’s head.


Malcolm Black notices his high school crush, Jayne, from the stage of her company’s work party. His adolescent feelings for her died beneath months of abuse at the hands of bullies. Abuse that was Jayne’s fault. Though this scorching hot studio musician is unrecognizable as the band geek he used to be, the hurt still lives inside him, and he hatches a plan: Seduce Jayne into falling in love with him, and then shatter her heart.


The white-hot chemistry between them is a pleasant surprise. It all goes so smoothly until Feelings start to develop... and that invitation to their ten year high school reunion lands in their inboxes.


Jayne wants the perfect lover. Malcolm wants revenge. But you know what they say about The Best Laid Plans.
 
 
 
 
 
~ Buy Links ~
 
 
 
~ Our Review ~
 4 Star Review by Jessica
 

The heart of The Best Laid Plans focuses on the ramifications of childhood bullying on our adults selves, both for the victims and the bullies. If you have ever been bullied at any time in your life, you know that those insecurities plant themselves somewhere deep inside of you. As adults, though we may have “gotten over” the trauma our younger selves endured, you never truly forget the shame and fear of being taunted. So it is for the main characters in The Best Laid Plans.
Jayne Griffin is a gorgeous, financially stable businesswoman. Now. That wasn’t always the case. She spent her middle school and high school years being ostracized and taunted for not mindlessly conforming to the whims of the in-crowd. She has changed the spelling of her name and worked hard to overcome her insecurities, but those self-doubts are always lingering just below the surface.
Malcolm Black is a smoking hot, talented musician who has women falling at his feet at every turn. Now. After being physically brutalized by high school bullies, he was forced to withdraw from school and finish high school through correspondence. Malcolm has changed his name, moved away, and built himself up through martial arts so he will never again be a victim. He still bears the physical and emotional scars from the hands of his bullies though, and he has never forgotten how that abuse was inadvertently triggered by his childhood crush, Jane.
When Malcolm spots Jane in the audience at one of his gigs and realizes she doesn’t recognize him, he hatches a plan to make her fall in love with him and then break her heart. What better way to exact revenge on the girl who more or less instigated his descent into hell? I’ll admit, I initially cringed when Malcolm began formulating his plan for revenge. I mean, this man is twenty eight years old and seemingly very successful-seeking revenge on something that happened in childhood just seemed immature. As the author revealed more about what Malcolm endured as a teenager however, I truly sympathized with him and could understand how that pain could become a part of who Malcolm truly was as a person.
Right from the start, Malcolm and Jayne had amazing chemistry and I was rooting for them from the beginning. Their scenes in the bedroom (and bathroom, balcony, etc.) were off the charts hot and certainly had me fanning myself! They also seemed to “get” each other and had a sweet rapport. I read eagerly to discover if a relationship based on a deception could become something real and lasting. The scenes at their ten year reunion were my favorite and while I don’t want to give anything away, a great deal of issues were resolved for several characters. The editing was flawless and the author gave her readers two sympathetic, likeable characters. The issue of bullying was not sugarcoated or downplayed and while those particular scenes were difficult to read, they really enhanced the reader’s understanding of both Malcolm and Jane. I really enjoyed The Best Laid Plans and strongly urge you to add it to your TBR list!
 
 

~ Author Bio ~
 
Tamara Mataya is currently a librarian; she lurked there for so long recommending books to patrons and shushing people, that she suspects they only hired her so it would be less creepy. Now she’s armed with a name tag, and a thin veneer of credibility. She’s also a musician with synaesthesia – which isn't an issue until someone plays a wrong note, which makes her want to squirm inside out. It makes for a good live show.

~ Author Social Media Links ~

Twitter: @FeakySnucker; https://twitter.com/FeakySnucker
 
 
 


~ Giveaway ~

 
US only 
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International
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