What a Woman Wants (A Manley Maids Novel) by Judi Fennell
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Reviewed by: Reading In Pajamas/ Cori
Rated: 4 Stars

What happens when three irresistibly sexy brothers lose a poker bet to their enterprising sister? They get hired out for her housecleaning venture. Now, the Manley Maids are at your service. Satisfaction guaranteed. It’s what a woman wants…

Resort entrepreneur Sean Manley was all set to buy an historic mansion at a great price, making a name for himself while making millions, when the seller and a poker bet change the game. Now he’s in the place as a hunky male maid and there’s one more complication: Livvy Carolla.

The house is Livvy’s inheritance. Her plan? Unload it to the highest bidder and use the cash to start her own bakery business. One look at “the help” and she’s hot to take him with her. Until she finds out he’s got a secret agenda.

But when Sean falls for the free-spirited, strong-willed Livvy, he has new ideas for the estate—and Livvy’s part in it. If all goes well, they’ll both be getting what they want. And then some.

What a Woman Wants is a fun romance that kept me smiling and laughing throughout the story. This is the first book in Judy Fennell’s The Manly Maids Series. It’s starts off with a poker game between 3 brothers and their little sister. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the characters at first because the brothers irritated me with their thinking when it came to allowing their little sister to participate in their manly poker game. The brothers lose to their sister though and have to deliver on the bet by working for their sister’s company, Manly Maids. And yes that is exactly what it sounds like. Hunky guys clean your house for you! Ummmm yep sign me up for that service. I really enjoyed the story and I ended up really liking the characters in this book. I will be looking forward to the rest of the brothers getting their books in this fun new romance series.

*Review copy provided by Berkley/NAL in exchange for an honest review.

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I have been writing for as long as I can remember, winning my first writing award in a second grade Caldecott Medal contest. Readers’ Digest gave me my very first publishing credit in April, 1994, and I was hooked. I seemed to have followed writing contests around, being a finalist in such online contests as American Title III, sponsored by Romantic Times BOOKreview Magazine and Dorchester Publishing, and two First Chapters contests, sponsored by Gather.com and Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books.

My imaginary friend was Casper the Friendly Ghost. The little ghoul even had a special place set for him at our dinner table and got blamed for many of my childhood mishaps. I grew up watching Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie and The Addams Family–my mom looked like Elizabeth Montgomery and I had a special Barbie outfit that looked like Morticia Addams’ dress. My favorite books are Bewitching by Jill Barnett and A Knight In Shining Armor, by Jude Devereaux, so it should come as no surprise that I like to write tongue-in-cheek lighthearted paranormals.

I love pop culture and manipulating language, so you’ll find lots of puns, double entrendre, plays-on-words, alliteration, clichés, and twisting of phrases, as well as several one-liners in my stories that give me a few chuckles. I studied Spanish at Penn State (Go Lions!), lived in Spain, and traveled throughout that beautiful country.

I’ve always written and still have my journal from fourth grade where, even then, my stories were full of fantastical creatures, whimsy, and magic. I wrote my first romance in 9th grade and still have that story in my memory chest. Even back then I dreamed of being a writer.

Now with kids, a husband, a house, a social life (Go Survivor Girls!), two cocker spaniels named Vixen and Raven, and a kitten named Pagan who won’t come near me unless I’ve got food, I get to live my dream of being a writer!

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Judi-Fennell
WEBSITE: http://judifennell.com
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