Are you ready for some of my firsts on Kindles & Wine in 2013? For starters, this is my first contemporary romance read of the year. Secondly, this is the first time in an interview I perhaps share some much too personal information about myself {blushing}. Most importantly, this is the first published book by British author Christy McKellen. Her New Worst Enemy was released earlier this month and today we get to talk to Christy about her debut book and learn more about her!
Here are the deets:
Length: 155 pages Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: Crimson Romance Source & Format: Review copy provided by the author; digital Official Summary Six months ago Ellie Holdsworthy’s life was all planned out – kids, wedding, happy ever after – until her boyfriend dumped her for another woman. Now her best friend, Penny – an heiress to a small fortune – looks set to run off with a gold-digger, and Ellie is determined to save her from certain doom. Unfortunately, the only person who can help is the one person she’d rather not ask… Little does Ellie know, persuading her brother’s best friend – commitment phobic, playboy businessman, Gideon DeLancy – to hold an intervention at his beautiful Georgian manor would be the easy part. Keeping her hands off him is a whole other matter. Gideon doesn’t intend to fall for his friend’s snarky sister, and he sure as hell doesn’t expect their weekend to develop into a full-on sex-fest. When passion takes a strangle-hold, their differences don’t seem to matter. After all, a torrid weekend affair should be the easiest thing in the world to walk away from, so why are they finding it so difficult…?
Sunny‘s Review
Ellie is one unhappy woman! After a really bad breakup, she holes up and wants nothing to do with anyone! The only person she lets in is her best friend Penny. So when Penny wants to marry a man that seems to have issues with money and keeping a job, is it out of jealousy that Ellie wants to sabotage their relationship? It sure seems like it! If she ever looks back, Ellie isn’t going to be proud of how she handled herself during this trying time. She has created a distance with everyone who loves her and has lost all confidence in herself. To make it worse, she can’t see the hurt she is causing when she attempts to break up Penny and her fiancé. She is a mess, yet I love how the baggage from her breakup affects her character throughout the book.
Gideon is a rich businessman that, for reasons he can’t explain, decides to help out an old friend (his best friend’s sister) when she comes begging. Here are some of my descriptors of Gideon: amazing-looking, confident, funny, rich. He sounds good, doesn’t he? On the surface, Gideon is a dream. If you look deeper, you realize he has some baggage of his own that has haunted him since his parents died when he was a child.
Ellie and Gideon agree to work together to break up Penny and Will, but they don’t realize what it will lead to physically, emotionally, or personally for them. The past factors in as they start to see each other as more than two people on a shared mission. All of a sudden, their attraction for one another can’t be ignored! They bring out the best in each other by pointing out each other’s faults and strengths. The backstories that McKellen masterfully creates for her characters make this crazy relationship feasible.
I did feel there were some parts of the book that could have been more developed. For example, we don’t get a lot of backstory on Penny and Will, which would help us better understand their relationship. I get where McKellen was going with the mystery in this relationship, but once some details were revealed, I would have loved to hear more about them. I also would have loved to get a bit more information upfront on Ellie’s state of mind. It took me a while to realize how messed up she was and why. That may have been intentional, but I still would have liked a bit more.
On the flip side, my favorite part of the book was the way Ellie and Gideon were together when they forgot their past, forgot themselves, and had some really hot sexy time. Holy moly is McKellen good at writing steaming hot sex scenes! Maybe that’s why Crimson Romance has her in their spicy line. It has spice all right! Is there a chance that they could build on this incredible sexual relationship and have everything else that makes a great relationship? They both doubt it, especially with their history, but Her New Worst Enemy brings it together beautifully.
Bottom LineHer New Worst Enemy was a quick read that had a lot of good parts. Where I would have liked a bit more character development in the supporting characters, I liked the backstories of the hero and heroine. I also enjoyed the “big brother’s best friend” concept and LOVED the spicy sexy time. If either of these things appeal to you, this book won’t let you down!
Rating: B
Wine/Beverage Pairing: Prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) because it is the lovely author’s favorite beverage.
Buy It: Kindle | NookInterview with Christy McKellen
Sunny from K&W: Hi, Christy. Thanks so much for being on Kindles & Wine today! Considering this is your debut novel, it sure read like a dream! I really enjoyed Her New Worst Enemy and can’t wait to find out even more about the book, and about you! Let’s start with the book.
Throughout Her New Worst Enemy, I came up with three possibilities of who could be Ellie’s “new worst enemy”: Will, Gideon, and Ellie herself. As you can imagine, I am extremely curious! Who (although maybe it isn’t even a person) did you intend to be Ellie’s “new worst enemy”?
Christy McKellen: Hi Sunny, thanks for having me here today. I’m so pleased you enjoyed Her New Worst Enemy! That’s a good question about the identity of the “enemy.” Ellie appears to have a few of them at the beginning of the book, but in the end she is her own worst enemy. Luckily Gideon isn’t about to let her get away with not cluing into this—in the very best way possible. 
Sunny: I knew it, and thank you Gideon! I try to do as much research as possible on an author I am interviewing. Imagine my surprise when I learned on your blog that you wrote two stories that ran parallel to each other, but from different points of view. Is the second story parallel to HNWE or vice versa, and if so, will readers ever get a glimpse of that “sister story”?
Christy: Aha! You found me out! Yes, I’ve written Penny and Will’s story too, which runs parallel with Ellie and Gideon’s. I don’t have any plans to release it at the moment—it hasn’t been edited yet—but you never know! It was really useful to have their side of the story written out and I had a lot of fun doing it… yeah, I guess their story deserves to be told front and center, but it’s going to have to get in line.
Sunny: As you may have noticed in my review, I would have loved to hear more about Penny and Will. It sounds like you “suffer” from the same ailment as many other authors—characters that won’t leave you alone until you have written their story. Who is living in your head right now that we will get to hear about in the future? More simply put, what can we expect from you next?
Christy: Quite right about my characters taking residence in my head and refusing to leave. I’m sure there must be a term for the far-away look in a writer’s eyes when they’re being possessed by their protagonists—charac-takeover maybe?
At the moment I have three other stories in various stages of being written, but the next one to be completed is set in the south of France and has a workaholic and a wanderer inadvertently holidaying together in a remote farmhouse. I love these two together. They’re both super smart, feisty, and in desperate need of some saucy fun. Luckily for them, I’m on the case!
Sunny: Ooh, great new word! Can I say another “ooh” for a workaholic and wanderer inadvertently having saucy fun in a remote farmhouse? It leads into my next question perfectly as I make one more reference to your blog, specifically a post where you mentioned that writing is an aphrodisiac to you. I just have to say that your scorching hot sex scenes serve as an aphrodisiac to those of us reading {wiggles eyebrows up & down}. Wait, there is no question there. Hmmmm, okay, here’s one: what do you have to say for yourself?
Christy: Yup, writing sexy definitely does it for me! I love reading spicy romance and find it the most enjoyable genre to write—my husband gets a lot out of it too. For me, reading or writing a scorching sex scene is more of a turn on than watching a film, for example, because I can put myself in the place of the characters more easily. I get dragged into the intensity of their emotional connection as well as their sexual one, and that heightens the excitement for me. It sounds like I’m not the only one, Sunny.
Sunny: You caught me! I guess I am switching to the more personal part of the interview, huh? That was probably more than anyone wanted to know about me, so let’s get back to you. LOL.
I understand you are from the UK. Can you tell me what places/attractions I wouldn’t want to miss if I visited your beautiful land? And where are your favorite places to travel?
Christy: There are so many amazing places to choose from! I adore the South West where I live. Devon and Cornwall are amazing counties; they have a unique atmosphere that feels almost magical. The Cotswolds—where Her New Worst Enemy is set—is beautiful too, but in a chocolate box kind of way, with cute village greens and tiny, thatched houses. I could go on and on. The peak district—rugged and wild, the Yorkshire Dales—undulating green hills and intensely verdant landscapes…
If I were to travel outside the UK I would probably choose Northern Italy or the south of France… ooh, I’m craving a holiday now!
Sunny: Sounds like a GREAT place to visit. You are the busy mum to three young children. Describe your favorite way to spend time with them and share one of your favorite things to do when they are not around.
Christy: We’re lucky enough to have family living by the coast in Devon so we get to go and play on the beach quite a bit. There are caves to play in, rock pools to explore, and the sea to jump in. I love seeing the kids enjoying themselves outside; they seem to smile more when they have the sun on their skin and the wind in their hair. Exmouth is part of the Jurassic Coast and the cliffs are incredible to look at—the colours are something else.
Family beach time
If I ever get time alone I love to walk in the rain and listen to music with headphones on. We have a vast green area in Bristol called The Downs which is great for walking around. It runs all the way over to the gorge which is spanned by Brunel’s famous suspension bridge. It’s an amazing vista; I could stare at it for hours.
Sunny: Thank you for providing all of the travelers out there with some great options! Everyone interviewed on Kindles & Wine has to answer these last two questions: If you had to choose: Kindle/eBook or print? (Don’t worry, we don’t discriminate on the basis of preferred book format!)
Christy: I really like both formats, but I read mostly on my Kindle now. I’m a very impatient person when it comes to getting my hands on a book I want to read, so the one-click buy option is perfect for me. I’m sure I must be keeping the e-book retailers in business feeding my book habit.
Sunny: And finally, what’s your favorite kind of wine? Or, if you’re not a wine drinker, what’s your beverage of choice?
Christy: My absolute favourite is an ice-cold flute of Prosecco—with champagne coming a close second. I have expensive tastes!
It’s been such fun to be here today, Sunny. I’ve really enjoyed answering your questions and getting to know you a little better too.
Her New Worst Enemy Giveaway
Christy is generously offering a digital copy of Her New Worst Enemy to ONE lucky Kindles & Wine reader.
To enter for your chance to win, you must:
- Be a follower of our blog (click the floating Follow button in the lower-right corner of your browser).
- Christy shared how she likes to spend her alone time. Hit the comments and tell us how you like to spend your alone time other than reading (‘cuz you are on a book blog, so we are going to assume you LOVE to do that).
Please note: This contest will close on Friday, January 25 at 11:59 PM (CST) and the winner will be notified via email on Saturday, January 26.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Formerly a Video and Radio Producer, Christy now spends her time as either a slave to her children or her muse. When she’s not writing spicy romance, she can be found stomping around the South West of England, glomming her to-be-read pile or escaping from real life with her rather delicious husband.
Christy loves to hear from readers. You can contact her on Facebook, Twitter, or at her blog.
I like to spend my time alone watching 2 shows I like to record and save for mommy time. I also like to work out.
Thanks,
Lori H
Sounds great, Lori! I have a couple of must see shows each week too.
Good choices Lori – I try to get some exercise in when I can to get my writers bottom in shape
My DH and I are into our box sets at the moment. I’m a terrible glommer, I have no patience so they work really well for me!
I’m a follower! Other than reading I enjoy my time with my horses! They are my passion along with reading!
You would probably enjoy the next book I review, Kim. It is about a guest ranch in Canada and therefore has a lot to do with horse trail rides.
Thanks for sharing.
I never learnt to ride, but I really wish I had. It must be a wonderful feeling cantering across fields on a horse. Thanks for commenting Kim!
I like to watch a television show without interruption or get some exercise or plan my garden.
My mom spends hours planning her flower garden each year. Do you have a flower or vegetable garden Maureen?
I really need to knuckle down and sort our garden out, I’m a terribly lazy gardener. I’d love to grow my own fruit and veg. Maybe this year… Hope you get some uninterrupted time to relax Maureen. Thanks for stopping by.
Well if I take reading out of my alone time…I’ve got nothing lol. I don’t watch TV or really movies at home. Wow I sound boring. Lol. Oh, I like music but then I usually have that on when I’m reading.
The book sounds really good. Thanks for th review and interview.
I get it, Lori!
Reading is a wonderful way to spend your alone time.
Reading does it for me Lori, nothing wrong with that! Thanks for your lovely comment about HNWE.
don’t have a lot of true alone time–mom of 3 boys and am constantly driving them places–but I love a good cup of tea and a good film noir if I can find it, otherwise, a good classic movie on TCM will do
Alone time is hard to come by when you have multiple children. At least it sounds like you know how to enjoy it when you get it, Denise.
Ah, yes, mum’s taxi! I know what you mean Denise. A tea drinker! Fantastic! Don’t know what I’d do without my cuppa
music or tv if a good book isn’t available
Sounds great. Thanks for commenting, Kara.
I’m always on the lookout for new music. I drive my family mad playing the same stuff over and over again like a child
Have taken to wearing headphones when I’m writing so as not to drive everyone crazy. Thanks for commenting Kara!
Great review and interview Sunny! Happy to have Christy to K&W! This book looks great! Love me some spicy sexy time;)
Lately I’ve only been reading in those rare bits of spare time I finagle but i do love to sew, crochet, knit, embroider and craft. Someday!
Thanks, Emily! Reading is easier to fit into those smaller doses of time we moms get isn’t it? Your hobbies need time and time is hard to come by. I love to scrapbook, but if I can’t find a day to dedicate to it, I tend not to do it. Love it on those rare days when I can though.
Ah Emily, a woman after my own heart – thanks for your lovely comments. I can’t sew for toffee and I’m incredibly jealous of people who craft. Hope you get some time to yourself soon.
Loved the review, Sunny! I’m intrigued by the setup of this book so on my to-be-read list it goes. My favorite activity for down time is scrapbooking/cardmaking–even better is doing that with good friends!
Hey Bugsy! Glad you enjoyed the review/interview and hope you like the book.
I will scrapbook with you any day my dear friend, because I agree that it is more fun to do with friends.
Hi Bugsy, thanks so much for commenting. I’ve never done scrapbooking – is it a form of collarging? It sounds like it’d be relaxing. Friends make everything more fun don’t they!
Hi everyone, thanks for welcoming me so warmly to K&W and taking the time to comment. I’m loving all these alone-time activities, if only there were more hours in the day!
Thanks Sunny for your beautifully written review – and for revealing your own saucy side
Hope you’re having a fabulous Thursday x
You are most welcome, Christy! Thank you for joining us for the day.
Thanks Sunny, great review and interview! I love th UK, and It’s on our list to return too. I get lots of ‘me’ time, my kids are grown, and I’m retired. Reading is a big part of it, but I will also watch “chick flics” I know DH will not want to watch. In July I will be a Grandma for the first time, so I image my free time will be spent traveling back and forth to Colorado!
Thanks, Pat! Congrats on soon being a grandma. Go see them as much as you can – what a special way to spend your retirement.
Congratulations on your impending grandmotherhood Pat! You should definitely come back to the UK – but I would leave it for a few months, she’s a bit grey and cold at the moment and not looking her best
Other than reading, I enjoy watching movies and tv shows.
Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth.
Me too Elizabeth! The last movie I saw was Jack Reacher which I enjoyed more than I thought I would. Tom Cruise did a great job, despite looking nothing like the character
Oh wow! There’s something besides reading?!? I’ll have to really check into this more. LOL Honestly reading fills my alone time, along with a little tv. Nothing I appreciate more than a good book and this one sounds great! Thank you for the interview, review and a chance to win! Oh, I’m a follower too but you probably know that by now. LOL
Wanda
Thanks, Wanda. Maybe you should read the other comments today to get ideas. Although, sounds like you enjoy reading just a little bit.
Hi Wanda, thanks for stopping by and leaving such a lovely comment.
Thanks for great interview. When not reading I like to watch the political talk shows
Hi rl! My husband and I have been rewatching The West Wing for the millionth time recently – but that’s as close to political talk shows as I get
Thanks for stopping by.
You could probably teach me a thing or two about politics rl. I am always a bit rusty, although I loved West Wing too Christy.
Alone time? What a concept!!! I guess if the weather is nice I’m gardening. Otherwise it’s self indulgence, hot bath, facial, manicure.
On a side note, Her Own Worst Enemy is definitely going on my to be read list!
Ooh, you’ve got me craving some pampering HisBabes. I LOVE getting massages to help me relax, but I haven’t had one for ages. Must remedy that. Thanks for commenting and adding HNWE to your tbr list!
I am not big into gardening, but I can definitely be talked into any of these other activities, HisBabes.
Glad we could help you find a new book to read. Enjoy it once it hits the top of your list.
What a fabulously fun interview thanks so much ladies. I love reading about the new author’s out there, esp someone who has written such a fab book as Christy has. Love the sexy scenes, Christy does it so well! Bring on more, please
Both Ellie and Gideon were great to read and invite into my living room, happy sigh. As for me, I dance when I can! Which is never often enough but hey!
Thanks Cait! I wish I had your energy and drive. It’s all I can do to lift my wine glass to my lips at the end of the day sometimes, let alone go dancing
Thanks for your comment, Cait. So happy to have another reader of HNWE to sing it’s praises in the blog today. Happy dancing.
If I can’t be reading during my alone time then I’ll be writing my own novel
Yay for writing! It’s fabulous to escape into the world of your characters isn’t it Carrie? Good luck with the book and thanks for commenting!
Awesome, Carrie. Good luck with your writing!
Watching tv and organizing my room. Just something about re-arranging everything every once in a while that I love
I get that Veronica. It feels like a fresh start doesn’t it? There’s something very appealing about knowing that everything’s in the right place. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
I am all about organizing too Veronica. It gives me a calming feeling afterwards.
I love to scrapbook it’s very relaxing and keeps my mind working
I follow through email
Great giveaway!!!
Yippee, another scrapbooker! Thanks for commenting and good luck with the giveaway, Josie.
I must find out more about this scrapbooking, it sounds popular! Thanks for commenting Josie.
With the wonderful pictures you provided for the interview Christy, you must have an interest in taking pictures. Scrapbooking is a hobby that allows you to put your favorite pictures into books with layers of paper (scraps perhaps) and embellish with other goodies like stickers etc that match the theme of your pictures. It can be time consuming but it is very rewarding for those of us that want our photo memories to last forever.
Ah I see, what a lovely idea Sunny. That’s something I could do with my eldest – she loves crafts. I used to really enjoy calligraphy when I was young but I haven’t done it in ages – I really must make the time…
I have been an avid reader since I got my Kindle fire a year ago. I have fell in love with so many authors. I’m also impatient, so getting them instantly is awesome. I love to sing (but I’m not very good), I have my favorite TV shows I watch, and I like to draw and paint. On the weekends, my husband and I like to take little road trips. When it’s cold, we take the jeep but when it’s warm we take the Rhino, which is a side by side four wheeler (I won’t get in it when it’s cold, I freeze to easily) for rides in the woods. This way allows for the best scenary, I’m a sucker for waterfalls. I also love all the smells in the woods. My husband on the other hand likes it for rock crawling and other obstacles.
Sounds like you have a lot of great activities to enjoy! Thanks for sharing, Becky!
Ooh, what a wonderful picture you’ve painted Becky. Can I come along next time
Sure Christy, come right along to WV, although you may want to wait till Spring or Summer
Unless you like snow and single digit temperatures.
Good point
I have to admit I’m not a huge fan of the cold! Hope you’re keeping warm – at least it’s a good excuse to snuggle up in front of the fire.
I like to catch up on my TV shows as well as play board games (with the fam or online). Recently I took up knitting again (I used to do it as a pre-teen) and it’s fun
I love board games too, Arely! Thanks for commenting.
I tried to learn to knit a while ago Arely, but I was all fingers and thumbs. I bet it’s really relaxing once you get past dropping a stitch every row
Board games are fab! My fav is Monopoly – which I’ve NEVER won (I’m not gutsy enough with my buying) but I live in hope.
I recently had three full days to myself while my husband was ice fishing up north. I watched the first two seasons of Downton Abbey and totally immersed myself in the story and characters so I would be ready for the third season. In smaller batches of alone time, I quilt, I go for walks with the dog, or I watch old movies on TCM. (I also read, of course.)
What a great treat – three days to do whatever you want.
I am SO jealous Susan, that sounds like heaven!
I enjoy walking or riding my bike–when the weather cooperates! I even bundled up and walked today with temps around 19 degrees. But the sun was out and it wasn’t very windy! Great exercise!
I also am a bit of a tech. geek and am learning to use Adobe PS Elements 11 with old family slides I’m scanning.
What a great project with your slides. Thanks for sharing, Vickie!
Good for you Vickie! I don’t mind walking in the cold either if I’ve got the right gear on. Thanks so much for stopping by to comment!
I quilt…usually, while listening to an audiobook
(Oops, I snuck reading in there. See how I am?) Sometimes I crochet as well, but lately it’s been more quilting than anything else (when I’m not grading papers, that is–which is NOT for fun, btw). I also play volleyball, cheer on the Buffalo Sabres (hockey team), and watch Downton Abbey.
But really? I read. A lot. And procrastinate on the Internet–usually finding books to read next.
I have no problem with you sneaking reading in beckymmoe. I would read all day given the opportunity. Sounds like you have some fabulous hobbies – I’m taking notes!
Thanks for sharing Beckymmoe! I have spent hours building up my electronic shelves for books to read, then shifting things around, then shifting them around again.
It is always fun to plan what to read next. I love audio books when I am doing different things, or commuting every day. I bet you have made some beautiful quilts.
Great review – I will definitely be checking out this book. Love to discover new authors.
I very rarely get alone time! In the old days, I would love to soak in the tub with a good book. Now, when I get a chance to be alone, I will watch a good Hallmark Movie or catch up on a favorite TV program. If I am really desperate I might clean. I try not to do the housework, though.
There’s something therapeutic about cleaning when you’re in the mood isn’t there Lynne? Although I have to admit I’d choose a bath and a book over it any day! Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Glad you liked the review, Lynne and that it enticed you to check it out.
When you don’t get a lot of alone time, you cherish every minute of it and it sounds like you have good options for how to spend it.
This looks like a good, steamy read! It’s added to my TBR list. I’m a little partial to the friends-to-lovers kind of story.
Between work, school, and my daughter, I’m not left with a whole lot of free time. However, when I do get that elusive free time, I enjoy (aside from reading, of course) knitting and crocheting. I’m not super crafty, but I can follow a pattern. :0)
Just a bit steamy, Sarah.
Thanks for commenting.
My MIL is an accomplished knitter and makes our children beautiful cardigans and sweaters so I (selfishly) let her handle that side of things
I’d like to learn how to read the patterns though. I bet knitting is really relaxing once you’ve got the hang of it. Thanks for adding HNWE to your TBR list Sarah. Have a great weekend!
I like to embroidery. I also liek to play Mahjong. I’m sort of addicted to it. THanks for the chance to enter this giveaway.
Thanks for commenting, bemiown. I have heard of Mahjong but haven’t ever played. I should learn.
I’ve never heard of Mahjong, is it a computer game? I have to watch myself with those or I end up playing for hours. Thanks for stopping by to comment bemiown.