Review and Giveaway: The Man Plan

The Man Plan (Graysons - Book 2) by Tracy Anne Warren

Publication Date: 08/05/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 0451466144
ISBN-13: 978-0451466143

(Received for an honest review from Signet)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Tracy Anne Warren on the WEB: 

website, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Graysons

1. The Last Man on Earth
2. The Man Plan

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, The Man Plan, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Man on Earth comes a delicious new novel about a young woman’s dreams of finding grand romance and success in the big city—and her schemes to make both come true....
What’s a girl to do when the man she’s loved her entire life thinks of her as a little sister? Worse, her own big sister was the one who broke his heart years earlier. For Ivy Grayson, the chance to get him to see her in a different light comes when she receives an unexpected invitation to move into his luxury New York apartment building. Manhattan also just happens to be the perfect place to pursue her wish to become a successful artist. But how many dreams can one woman expect to come true?

Billionaire financier James Jordon has everything a man could want—except love. When Ivy’s family asks him to keep an eye on their “little girl” in the big city, he agrees. But the innocent girl he knew is now a dynamic woman who knows what she wants, and how to get it. He may have promised himself to keep things platonic, but ignoring the game of love isn’t an option. Especially when Ivy is so eager to play.

Thoughts:

Tracy Anne Warren brings readers the second book in the Graysons series, The Man Plan. This is a contemporary romance set in the world of business. The hero is a successful businessman, while the heroine is an up and coming artist. It's a case of opposites attracting, but they have a lot to overcome, including a substantial age difference and the fact that Ivy's sister left James at the alter in the previous book. Warren is able to pull it all together to provide readers with an adventurous love story that will have them on pins and needles to see if the seduction works.

What I liked:

After reviewing the first book in this series, The Last Man on Earth, I was hoping that James would get his own story. I wanted to see the nice guy finish first instead of last. His character seemed very genuine and caring. I wanted to see him find his own happy ever after because he was jilted by Madelyn and because I wanted to know more about him and I'm really glad that Tracy Anne Warren gave us a book that takes a deeper look into his character. 

What I didn't like:

In The Man Plan, James becomes of the object of Ivy Graysons deepest desires. Her sister may have left him at the altar, but Ivy wanted to be the one to pick up the pieces and now she may have her chance. James is a very successful businessman. His career and his love life seem to be going alright from an outsiders point of view. I liked James in this book, but not quite as much as in the first one. I thought he got a little short changed in The Man Plan. I wanted to see a lot more depth to his character. I understood his need to stay away from Ivy and her conniving. He was the older man and she seemed too young and naive for him, but he just couldn't resist. I was hoping for a love interest that was his equal and didn't quite find that here.

Ivy was not what I expected. I am generally okay with the theme of the older man, having been in that situation myself. But this time it just didn't seem to work. Ivy's maturity level was just too far removed from that of James. He seemed every inch, a man, while she still had all the characteristics of an infatuated girl. Her decisions were often rash and her reactions more like a teenager than a young woman. She goes into her 'man plan' to get James to fall in love with her, all the time knowing he had a girlfriend. I just couldn't make myself respect her or like her. That doesn't happen too often for me.

Bottom Line:

I like Tracy Anne Warren's writing but this book fell a little short for me. I wanted so much more for James. He had his moments of being underwhelming in this book and Ivy was just too young for him in every way. I wish I could have liked this one because I enjoyed James' character so much in the first one, but it just didn't hold together. The last few chapters were good, but the rest of the book was a bit too cliche. As with any book you should read it and see what you think. My opinion is just that, my opinion and yours may be different. 

The Man Plan is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 3 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Tracy Anne Warren is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen romance novels including The Last Man on Earth.After working in the corporate world for a number of years, she quit her day job to pursue her first love: writing. She has won numerous industry awards, including Romance Writers of America’s RITA award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the HOLT Medallion. She currently lives in Maryland with a small clowder of rescue cats.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of The Man Plan by Tracy Anne Warren.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, September 10th.

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