(ARC Review) Eight Days a Week by Amber L. Johnson

Author's:

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Expected publication date: October 6th 2014

My rating: 3 stars

Book summary:

"Gwen Stone has secrets she’s not ready to reveal. After a recent promotion at work, she needs a caretaker for her children. She’s frenzied and in a lurch and pretty much ready to hire the first person who comes along. So she does.

Andrew Lyons needs to get out of his sister’s apartment, and a Craigslist posting may be the answer to his prayers. But what he thought was an ad for a room rental turns into a job offer he can’t refuse. Accepting the nanny position could change his life, if only he had a clue how to be a grownup.

A working mother, a shirtless manny who looks good in a towel, two children who need more than than a babysitter, and hours of kids’ TV can only spell disaster for everyone involved.

Because a manny should always mind his own business.

And he definitely shouldn’t fall in love with his boss."

The Nanny Diaries meets Uptown Girls meets Raising Helen. But instead of a girl as a nanny, you have 26 years old guy who still acts like a kid. Eight Days a Week is second novel written by Amber L. Johnson that I've read so far. Just like Puddle Jumping|, this book is more on the fluff side regardless of how serious topic is. That is no issue at all because this is one of those stories that should make you feel good after you finish reading them. Unfortunately, it has few things that could have been better.

Positive:

• Male POV. It was so fun reading Andrew's point of view. I laughed and got mad, but admired how he changed in the end. 
•  Interaction with kids. That was the best part of the story, both because of the way it was told and all of the emotions that hit you with every page you read. Yes, it was a bit cliche and yes, quite predictable and again - yes, it is all one big looking life trough pink glasses fluff, but it did not stop me to enjoy reading it, feel and laugh.
• Steamy scenes. Oh boy... my knees go all weak when I remember those. Andrew may act like a child sometimes, but in the bedroom... Let's just say that he has few useful tricks.
• Quick read. Eight Days a Week is a book that you will finish in one sitting. I opened it just to read first few lines before deciding what to read next. Few hours later I finished the last page with a huge grin on my face and butterflies in stomach.

Negative:

• What happened before. This is something that bothered me the most - author focuses only on what happens in present. That part of the storyline is perfect, but everything that lead to that moment is kind of blur. Everyone's past is explained in one sentence. One sentence. That is not enough because I did not understand Andrew's and Gwen's issues with their families, everything about accident is too melodramatic and rushed, I have no idea why Gwen is so insecure about herself or why Andrew went away from home.
• Other characters. Some of them had more space than the others, but still I believe that this would be so much better story if there was more interaction with secondary characters and if their actions were explained better. 
• Timeline. I am still confused about when things happened, or long did it last. Few weeks? Months? A year?

Final judgement?

Eight Days a Week is a fun book that will capture your hart with its sweetness and positivity. There are few issues, but still - if you want to read something in short time that will make you feel good, this is a book for you.  

Happy reading,

 

*Copy of the book was provided by publisher, The Writer's Coffee Shop, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*