Rusty Nailed

Cocktail, Book 2

By: Alice Clayton

Narrated by: Heather Smith

In this sequel to Wallbanger, fan favorites Caroline Reynolds and Simon Parker negotiate the rollercoaster of their new relationship while house-sitting in Sausalito.

Playing house was never so much fun - or so confusing. With her boss on an extended honeymoon, Caroline’s working crazy-long hours to keep the interior design company running - especially since she’s also the lead designer for the renovation of a gorgeous old hotel. And with Simon, her hotshot photographer boyfriend, gallivanting all over the world for his job, the couple is heavy-duty into "absence makes the heart grow fonder" mode. No complaints about the great reunion sex, though!

Then a trip back east to his childhood home has Simon questioning his nomadic lifestyle. He decides to be home more. A lot more. And he wants Caroline home more, too. Though their friends’ romantic lives provide plenty of welcome distraction, eventually Caroline and Simon have to sort out their relationship. Sure, more togetherness is a good thing - but does less traveling and working have to mean the other extreme? Apple pie and picket fences? With this second book in the Cocktail series, USA Today best-selling author Alice Clayton delivers another delicious, frothy confection of a book, shaking up her characters, stirring in laugh-out-loud humor, and serving sizzling romance straight up!

©2014 Alice Clayton (P)2014 Simon & Schuster

first walled now nailed?!?!?

I have to say, if being walled was good then getting nailed is even better!!! As with the first Clayton gave me a great balance of sexy hot, comical, and just enough drama to not roll my eyes. Whats even better is that once again Smith did a great job giving me a good distinction between character lines and narration.

How the narration makes all the difference!

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Every once in awhile I'll read a book that's so enjoyable that I'll purchase the audiobook when it comes out for the additional experience. That was the case with Wallbanger, the first in this series. When Rusty Nailed came out I remembered being disappointed by the audio version of Wallbanger, but purchased the audio version of this automatically because of my overall enjoyment of the first book. Well...I should have gone back and listened to Wallbanger or listened to the sample of Rusty Nailed. Heather Smith's narration is so saccharin, overly animated and breathy that I couldn't get past chapter 4 before I went on Amazon and purchased the ebook version. While I couldn't stomach listening to another minute of Rusty Nailed, I enjoyed the ebook version almost as much as Wallbanger. Don't waste the credit, read the book!

A Little More Drama

I have to say its just as good as the first one. Except for the fact that Carolina held everything in. I swear if talked to Simon before the whole breakdown happen then she wouldn't have had one. Another thing I loved is that though they fought more they didn't break up, but they also didn't talk. But both Carolina and Simon went through some big changes that they fought and loved through. I just love them both.

There was pretty much just Carolina's POV which is okay and the epilogue being the cat. And can I just say I love that damn cat.

Great Book!

This book is Great, amazing and very entertaining. I love that cat part in the book too.

Perfect follow up to Wallbanger

What made the experience of listening to Rusty Nailed the most enjoyable?

To see the progression of Simone and Caroline's relationship. She didn't become someone different because she was in a relationship with Simon.

What other book might you compare Rusty Nailed to and why?

None

Have you listened to any of Heather Smith’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She did a great job.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes. Clive!!!

Any additional comments?

I have listened to The Red Head series by Alice Clayton and now Wallbanger series. I am in love with this book. It's real, mature, funny, and honest. More than worth the credit.

Wallbanger, Rusty Nailed & Last Call Fine Wine

I loved this series, specifically Wallbanger, Rusty Nailed and Last Call...when i read Wallbanger, I thought kind of silly, and yet laugh out loud funny - and ultimately sexy. The series is not gratuitous though the title suggests it - I have not read the other two, but these three books together, are amazing..an excellent trilogy. They may not be exciting for some, but they are funny, not absurdly so, I felt like we were taking some pages from the lives of true friends and I laughed aloud so many times! No, no-one almost dies, no-evil plot is happening to take over one person with a sordid past, and yet you find yourself drawn in and flowing along the River that is the Simon and Caroline relationship. Both of them were living their lives until suddenly, the one they didn't "know" they were waiting for showed up. Simon and Caroline are a beautiful endearing couple. When someone says something wrong or gets moody, it doesn't mean the end of their relationship, they aren't divided by a misunderstanding for months - and when there is a misunderstanding they work it out. Read these three books of this series, in order and Listen to them, while I thought this narrator was a little old sounding for this character, i grew to like her and her enthusiasm and I loved Caroline and Simon, they were sweet, flawed, loyal and beautiful - and Clive (the cat) was just a bonus - a really enjoyable bonus and I love how Simon falls in love with him and assumes he is part of his family and talks to him. So glad I didn't listen to the negative reviews on Rusty Nailed saying it was boring. For me these characters and their stories were anything but..and there was no more sex in Rusty Nailed than any other book and less than many. I have listened to so many series and this one was light, refreshing tender humanity - don't miss these three books of this series...either in the reading or the listening. It kind of evolved into a really fine wine. .

Simon and Caroline

book number two was okay but it was just a little too into the scenarios and is there a happy ending for Simon and Caroline or do I have to wait another four or five books to get to it

Not Wallbanger :(

I loved Wallbanger but this book was disappointing. Alice Clayton's humor was one of my favorite things about the first book in the series but Rusty Nailed fell short.

Disappointing

Would you try another book from Alice Clayton and/or Heather Smith?

I love Alice Clayton and would read more from her, but this book was so dull! If you're going to write a sequel to something as funny and well-loved as Wallbanger, as least make it interesting. I was yawning the entire book!

Not Wallbanger standard

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Not that great. I found my mind drifting as I listened as not a strong enough story to hold my interest in the same way thr first book of the series.

If you’ve listened to books by Alice Clayton before, how does this one compare?

Not in the same class as Wallbanger, just not as good.

What aspect of Heather Smith’s performance would you have changed?

I found the voices of the characters annoying, just a bit silly this time.

What would have made this romance irresistible?

A re-write. Loved the first of the series, disappointed with this one, not sure I'll bother with any more.

Any additional comments?

Read Wallbanger then move on.