With a sexy, funny, snarky hero, heroine and secondary cast, Below Deck was a great book for me to start after finishing a dark romance. It would also be a great rainy day read or a book just to get lost in and enjoy yourself for a couple of hours. I recommend it to all romantic comedy fans. ~ DiDi, Guilty Pleasures
Description:
Declan McGillis can’t stand rich people. But working as a deckhand on a luxury charter yacht, he also can’t escape them. Declan has spent years kissing their ass and doing their bidding…whatever it takes to make his dreams come true, and nothing will get in his way of being the captain of his own yacht one day.
Mackenzie Armstrong knows what people think when they look at her. She knows from the outside looking in, it seems like her family has it all and doesn’t have a care in the world. Things aren’t always what they seem, and not only does Mackenzie have the weight of her family’s struggles on her shoulders, she also needs to prove to Declan that she’s not the spoiled princess he believes her to be.
Declan can’t ignore the sparks of lust between them, even though Mackenzie is completely off limits and absolutely out of his league.
Mackenzie thinks a vacation fling is just what she needs to forget about the mess her life has become, and Declan is the perfect man for the job.
Will this be a quick romp in the water, or will it turn into something more when Mackenzie finally gets below Deck?
Review copy provided for a voluntary review
Declan Mc Gillis has been working on charter yachts for several years, his ultimate goal is to become a Captain and run his own yacht. To achieve his goal he has focused on learning as much as he can from his current Captain and not being a big partier. Over the years he has developed an aversion to rich people because of the way they treat the crew on their trips. So when Declan learns about the next set of passengers, who are going on a 10 cruise for $200,000, he automatically assumes they will be as bad, if not worse, than previous passengers. When he first sets eyes on Mackenzie Armstrong he falls for her bad, but has to remind himself that, in spite of their over the top chemistry and inst-feelings, he cannot have a fling with her for at least two reasons; one it could ruin his shot at Captain, two she is from a different world than his and is not his type of woman.
Mackenzie is grudgingly going on this trip with her father, his new horrible new wife and her daughter. She brings along her best friend Brooke to help her survive the trip without committing murder. Mackenzie’s been going through a lot of stress and not enjoying life, so Brooke convinces her to try to have a fling with Declan.
Declan and Mackenzie have a combustible chemistry and every time they act on it he ends up pulling away and being a jerk to her. When he realizes Mackenzie isn’t what he initially assumed it could be too late to win her back.
I love the witty, snarky banter that Ms. Sivec always has in her books, it never fails to give me many LOL moments! Ms. Sivec also builds family and friendships in a way like no other and it’s always refreshing to read how the secondary cast impacts the main characters.
I enjoyed Below Deck, there were a few times some of it seemed a bit repetitive and I really wanted to see at least Mackenzie vs. step-monster smackdown! I feel like I was cheated out of seeing that witch get her butt handed to her! The epilogue was an added bonus and THANK YOU Ms. Sivec for writing one.
With a sexy, funny, snarky hero, heroine and secondary cast, Below Deck was a great book for me to start after finishing a dark romance. It would also be a great rainy day read or a book just to get lost in and enjoy yourself for a couple of hours. I recommend it to all romantic comedy fans.
3.5 stars
Excerpt:
“Feminists all over the world would be hanging their heads in shame at me right now, wouldn’t they? I’m weak and pathetic and easily forgiving of asshole behavior,” I complain to Brooke, leaning against the doorframe of our bathroom while I watch her apply make-up. “Tell me I’m weak and pathetic.”
Brooke sighs, pulling her face away from the mirror and lowering the mascara wand from her eye to stare at me in the reflection.
“I will do no such thing. You aren’t weak and pathetic. And you aren’t easily forgiving, either. You stuck to your guns and made him feel like a jerk. What you are, is easily distracted by a pretty face and a magic dick,” she informs me, turning around to lean against the sink.
“You’re right,” I whisper, my eyes widening with this sudden discovery. “I’ve always rolled my eyes at women in books who keep going back to the same asshole over and over again. It’s because of the magic dick. And now I get it.”
“The fucking magic dick,” Brooke agrees with a nod.
“But seriously, this doesn’t make me weak and pathetic that I forgave him so easily and basically threw my vagina at him in a challenge?” I ask as she turns back to face the mirror and finish applying her mascara.
“He explained why he did what he did. He was an assuming asshole, but he still realized he was wrong and fixed it. You accepted his apology and admitted you’re still in need of a good dicking, and he’s the closest available dick to give you said dicking. I see nothing wrong with that,” she shrugs.
“That was a lot of dicks in one sentence.”
“There are a lot of dicks on this boat. You think you’ve got problems? Ben is the best sex I’ve ever had and he’s a man-whore,” she complains, shoving her mascara tube back into her make-up bag and grabbing her bottle of perfume from the counter.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts DiDi