There are books that I'm immediately drawn to just by the cover. If it is a cute cover or one with a sexy hero, something that does a great job at conveying the tone of the book will grab my attention. When I came across Dear Jane, I immediately wanted to read it. This book is just as adorable as the cover. It's hilariously quirky. I wanted to be Jane's friend and Eric is my first book boyfriend of 2017. They were characters that I didn't want to say bye to at the end of the novella. I wanted to spend so much more time watching their blossoming relationship. Thank goodness that this is the beginning of a new series! I can't wait to meet Jane's friends. Plus I really want to explore more of Marissa's books. I loved her writing style in Dear Jane. It was fun and flirty with just enough sexiness to keep a smile on my face. Dear Jane was the first book of Marissa's and I know I'll be adding more to my TBR for 2017.

This was an office romance between co-workers who because of a no-fraternization rule, have been stuck in the friend zone even though both are really attracted to each other. When constant contact and close interaction leads to crossing that self imposed line, things get emotionally complicated for these two career orientated people.

I love me a klutzy h - they usually provide me that humor and lightheartedness that I enjoy in my romance but Jane didn't quiet fit the bill. We get a few stories of her first date disasters but her character as a high caliber lawyer from a long line of lawyers didn't really mesh. I don't see how she was so confident and capable in one area of her life but then so inept at another.

Then there was Eric. Too passive aggressive IMO, I wanted him to be more dominant in his pursuit of Jane. They both came across as non-descriptive and sort of bland. I will say I absolutely loved Gandalf, the h's cat (with a name like that it was pretty hard for the LOTR fan in me to dislike). Overall it was a sweet story about two people who finally learn to life and chase dreams and also to love with their whole hearts.

A cute story with a HEA, no cheating, no OM/OW drama and no angst. No Epilogue.

Such a sweet read!

Dear Jane is the first in the Animal Attraction series, which is a spin-off of Ms. Clarke's Anderson Brothers series (one of lawyer hero Eric's bigger clients is the titular Anderson brothers). As such, it's a fine place to start reading Ms. Clarke's books, and of course sets up the new series nicely. (That said, knowing the name of the series acts as a spoiler of sorts when you're about 2/3 of the way through the story, when one character says something and the reader can pretty quickly figure out how one aspect of the story, at least, is going to end. It's not a big deal, but it was a definite ah ha! moment.)

I really liked both Eric and Jane, both as characters and as friends (and later, as a couple). Jane's dating disasters were amusing--I can just imagine how much fun the author had coming up with them!--and Eric's accidental slide into her friend/dating consultant was really cute. Eric had been aware of Jane for two years at the start of the story but never pursued her (boss's daughter!), a history of sorts that made their kind-of-quick relationship here (the novella's just over 100 pages long) fairly believable. Things move really fast at the end--that part could have been expanded, but still worked pretty well as is--and left our characters in a good place, a place I'm looking forward to visiting again as the series continues!

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

Fun and entertaining story about love, romance, and relationships.

Dear Jane was a sweet yet sexy romantic comedy…just what I needed! I loved Jane from the very start. She’s smart, sweet yet a disastrous first date. In fact, she never makes it to the second date. It might have something to do with spilling ice water in their laps or possibly almost catching a date on fire after knocking a votive over onto a flammable tablecloth. She’s sure she’ll never find Mr. Right and will be stuck with her loyal cat, Gandalf, forever. One day her co-worker, Eric, delivers flowers to her office. It’s a Dear Jane flower delivery…again she’s getting dumped after a first date. Eric has always had feelings for her, but she is the boss’s daughter, there is a strict rule about co-workers dating, and Jane NEVER dates lawyers even though she is one. Instead, Eric offers to be a matchmaker, finding her the perfect guy for her despite his feelings for her. After her first date with one of Eric’s friends, she asks Eric to come over after the horrible date to give him the details. One Friday night turns into more with a friendship developing between them with a massive undercurrent of attraction simmering underneath the surface. Will they give into their feelings and give love a shot?

It’s been a while since I’ve read a romantic comedy, and Marissa Clarke reminded me why I love them so much! Despite Jane’s horrible luck dating, she still finds the humor in it, especially when she’s with Eric. I loved the storyline as well as the characters. As I wrote earlier, Jane is easy to fall for. Eric has only seen her beauty, but he falls even more for her because of her humor and clumsiness! I liked that Eric was not only sexy and gorgeous, but he was a good guy. I love my bad boys, but I also like the good ones too, and Eric is a good one! Even Gandalf, who can be wicked and unsociable to Jane’s visitors, eventually falls for Eric too! They brought out the best in one another, and through their friendship and relationship realize what their dreams truly are. I enjoyed the banter between them, and I loved that they really enjoyed each other’s company even though they were secretly lusting for one another. The chemistry between the two was intense!

Dear Jane was one of those books that gives readers the perfect balance of sexy and sweet. The storyline was great, and it’s a pretty fast read! It leaves you with a warm feeling in your heart and a big smile on your face when you finish the last page.

***Read and Reviewed for Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews***
***Copy provided by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review***

Some novels you pick up and they grab you immediately and you don’t put them down until you’ve finished reading them. Dear Jane is just such a novel.

It opens from the point-of-view of Eric, a hard-working attorney, who has been infatuated with Jane Dixon for the two years he has worked at the law firm. He has kept his door open so that he could watch her walk by. I immediately liked Eric. He seemed like a nice, humble guy, which is odd for a lawyer (ha). He also had Jane’s interests at heart since he was willing to matchmake even though he wanted to be the one she dated.

Despite the fact that she’s gorgeous, Jane is also a down-to-earth character, whose flaw is that when she’s on a date, everything goes wrong. Like Eric, she is hard-working although she recognizes that she doesn’t really love her job.

Dear Jane ran through a bevy of emotions for me. I laughed, smiled, sizzled, and then teared up at the end. This book is what you read when you need a gentle pick-me-up, like comfort food or chocolate. It made me feel good and wish to read even more about Eric and Jane even after their story ended.

Everything about it worked for me. The writing flowed naturally. I loved both Eric and Jane. Even the supporting characters brought their own magic. The one moment of “drama” was logical, based on a misunderstanding, which worked for me.

In response to Eric’s suggestion she try online dating, Jane says: “Oh, hell no. Been there, done that. I go back and forth online with some guy who seems perfect, and when we meet up, he turns out to be two decades older than his picture and his ‘platonic roomie’ turns out to be his mother, whose picture he carries in his wallet next to a condom of questionable vintage.”

Ya gotta love it!

I can’t recommend Dear Jane enough! And I can’t wait to see what else Marissa Clarke brings us in this series!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Dear Jane by Marissa Clarke is book number one in the Animal Attraction series. This Jane Dixon and Eric Blackwell's story.

Jane is an attorney in her family's law firm but has no luck with dating. You will get a laugh over some of her dating disasters.

Eric is an attorney at Jane's family's law firm but has wanted to date Jane but it's not allowed as long as they both work there.

Jane and Eric become friends but is it more than friends? both are up to become partners. Will they chose their career or love?

This is a cute and sweet friends to lovers’ romance.
FYI, includes mature content. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

There is something I love about Marissa Clarke’s books and it’s taken me awhile to put my finger on it, but with Dear Jane I finally figured it out. I love that her characters don’t take themselves too seriously, that they can laugh at themselves, that they take time out to enjoy life, and that they aren’t afraid to make changes to do so. Dear Jane was simply fabulous; two attorneys working at the same firm, one hoping to get promoted to junior partner and keep climbing the success ladder he’s always had his eye on, the other the daughter of one of the partners who really doesn’t love being an attorney and more that than really just wants to find a guy to have a second date with. This book was funny, it was a bit crazy, it was sexy and it simply stole my heart.

Ever since he was a small boy all Eric Blackwell wanted was to be successful enough to make sure he and his Mom were financially secure and he hasn’t minded the hard work to get there and he’s 6 weeks away from what he hope will be a junior partnership. He is focused, he is quite sure he’s going to make it until he helps out the receptionist and delivers “Dear Jane” flowers to his boss’s daughter Jane Dixon and his life is forever changed.

Jane Dixon has been working for her father’s firm since she got out of law school and while she is good at what she does, she really doesn’t enjoy her work. She dreams of more in her life including a good relationship, but Jane can’t seem to get past the first date. Every first date she goes on she blows it with her clumsiness or her nervousness and getting flowers delivered by fellow attorney Eric and having him see her distress is the icing on the cake until he agrees to help her find someone perfect.

I really loved the way these two went from colleagues who barely spoke (even though Eric had a huge crush on Jane), to friends, and then to more throughout this book. Eric being there for Jane to debrief after her horrendous first dates sets the tone for this book as does his crazy rivalry with her cat.

Dear Jane was flat out fun, a bit crazy, but most of all a sweet love story with one heck of a grand gesture at the end.

This book was just perfect!At 110 pages it isn't too long and it didn't feel short like other novellas do!I loved how the author brought in a cast of adorable characters and made me fall in love with them!This is my first book of Marissa Clarke's and I have fallen in love with her writing.The next thing I'm going to do after typing up this review is- read her Anderson Brothers series.

Eric and Jane- the main characters were so cute and perfect for each other!Eric works as a lawyer and is on his way to being promoted to partner.All he has to do is keep up with his work and stay in the good books of George Dixon-his boss and Jane's father.Jane works at the same firm and has worked hard to earn her position.But as much as she is a success in the professional department, she is a disaster on the dating front.She never seems to be able to get past the first date due to one or the other disaster.
After a series of events,Eric unwittingly ends up agreeing to set up Jane on dates with his friends.Poor guy!He has to set up the gorgeous girl he has had his eye on for two years(and who hasn't noticed him till now) with his friends!LOL!
As Jane and Eric start spending more time together, the attraction between them heats up.But what abouut the office's non-fraternization policy?And what happens when Jane begins to question the decisions she has made in her life?

I absolutely loved the relationship between Jane and Eric!The slow progress from friends to more was so good!Their hilarious banter and Eric's staring matches with Gandalf left me with a silly smile on my face!Their characters were also well done with added development.They weren't perfect nor were they too damaged like in other romance novels.Just normal human beings who fit together perfectly!The ending had me swooning and I love this couple!Can't wait to meet Jane's friends and see how Animal Attraction takes off! ;)

4 stars

I loved this book!
Jane Dixon is a mess, but a funny cute one. She can't seem to get a second date with anyone. She doesn't know why, but all her dates end up in a major mess. So now Jane has asked her coworker, Eric to help her get to the bottom of her doing disasters. Since Jane is his boss's daughter, he feels like he should help Jane out. But, once Eric starts spending time with Jane, he doesn't want her staying anyone else... see Eric has a thing for Jane. Her quirks and all. So what harm can come with Eric setting Jane up on dates that are guaranteed to end badly?

I have never read Marissa Clarke before so this was an awesome surprise for me. After reading some reviews, I saw this was a sin off of another series. I usually stay away from those types of books, because I don't want to feel like I missed something. But the way this book was written, I didn't even know until after I was done reading it. I was shocked to learn this was a series/spinoff.

Now I have to go back and read the rest! I loved this funny and quirky love story!

I'm always in the mood for a good romantic comedy, and in the past Marissa Clarke has entertained me greatly with her Anderson Brothers series. It's what put her on my favorite new to me authors list in 2015, and got the third entry in that series, Chance of a Lifetime, a 2016 RITA award nomination. Dear Jane is the first entry in a new spin-off series to the Anderson Brothers called Animal Attraction and is a fun and lighthearted romance with plenty of laughs.

Jane Dixon is a lawyer working for her dad's firm in the Family Law Department. The relationships she sees on a daily basis are for the most part a disaster, just like her dating life. A confirmed klutz, Jane never fails to end her dates on a sour note and despairs of ever having a real relationship. Eric Blackwell has had his eye on Jane for a while, but she's the boss's daughter and he is looking for a promotion so she's definitely off limits. When he inadvertently becomes a flower delivery service for the brush off from her most recent date, Jane confides in Eric her dating frustrations and Eric blurts out that he knows lots of guys who'd like to date a woman like her. Suddenly, he finds himself in the position of date procurer instead of owning up to the fact that he'd like to ask her out himself. But Jane refuses to date another lawyer, and they work together in the same firm, so he'd be off limits regardless. Secure in their new friendship, things are going along swimmingly – except that Eric hopes that the dates he's setting up for Jane will be dismal failures and Jane finds herself looking forward to the post-date conversations and texts with Eric more than the dates themselves. Will they admit that their true interest is in each other before it's too late?

Lots of laugh out loud moments in this one! Poor Jane has so much bad luck with each of her dates, both the ones before Eric tries to give her a hand and the ones he sets her up with that it's easy to see why she's discouraged. Eric's got good intentions in setting her up with his friends, though each time she's out with one of them (eventually he does get to take her out himself!) he's left sitting at home doing crossword puzzles that seem to be prophetically describing his life.

Number three across: “One who weeps, in a saying.” He traced his fingers over the five empty spaces. “Finder Keepers, Losers Weepers,” he chanted in a taunting, playground voice. With a sigh, he filled in the blanks. L-O-S-E-R.

While he was home, living like an old man at thirty years old, Alistair was out wining, dining and romancing Jane on Eric's dime.

Number twelve down: “Live a dull life.” Second letter of eight was a T and a fourth a G. No doubt about the answer to this one. He was an expert on dull. S-T-A-G-N-A-T-E, he wrote in blanks.

Gradually, their friendship does lead to them acknowledging their attraction to each other, and some sexy scenes between them. Though Jane does seem to attract mishaps, unlike her other dates Eric is able to laugh them off and reassure her that they aren't a deal breaker. But while they are able to keep their growing relationship on the down low for a little while, they are both up for partnership and if they want to date out in the open, one of them is going to have to leave the firm. The conflict heats up in the second half and leads to some surprising results and an eventual happy ending for Eric and Jane. There are some cameo appearances from the Anderson brothers (yay!) and Jane's cat Gandalf plays a prominent role in the story as well. All in all, it's a very enjoyable romance and I look forward to reading more in the series!

This review has been posted at Straight Shootin' Book Reviews and feedback updated with the link. It will be posted at sale sites during release week.

3.5 - "Lawyers Suck." Stars!

Book one in Marissa Clarke’s new Animal Attraction series, was a quick and really enjoyable read. I really liked Eric and Jane’s story, and you get the added bonus of a little Anderson brother’s interaction as well.

No lawyers. I will never date one. Ever. I’d rather stay single the rest of my life…

Jane Dixon doesn’t have much luck with men in fact, she never seems to get past the first date with any of them. Colleague and secret-crush Eric Blackwell one day makes the mistake of telling her he has dozens of friends he can set her up with, whilst privately wanting her for himself. Problem is, she’s sworn off Lawyers (of which he is one) and they work at the same firm, with an ironclad non-fraternization policy.

It had grown from a schoolgirl crush to heavy-duty full-grown-woman crush with all the requisite heated body parts and inappropriate thoughts…

Marissa has an easy writing style, and her characters are likeable as well. Nothing massively new or different with the tropes used in Dear Jane but it kept me entertained for a couple of hours, and also set up the rest of the Animal Attraction series beautifully.

"If it can be screwed up, I’ll screw it."

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.

It isn't just anyone who can make lawyers sexy :) Jane is on her way to a partnership at her family's firm but that doesn't mean that she's happy. Eric is also on the fast-track, but all work and no play hasn't exactly left him a lot of time for a relationship. And the only woman who has caught his eye lately is one he can't have. While their jobs may not allow for inter-office dating, once they start spending time together Eric & Jane discover they may have a connection that is hard to resist.

This isn't a very long book but it is definitely jam packed full of fun. I kinda wish we'd gotten to see a few more of Jane's bad dates just because they were so disasterously funny :) And the friendship (and maybe something more) that Eric and Jane develop as they bond over those mishaps has all the feels you could ask for.

While there may roadblocks standing in the way of them committing to each other, there are also issue that keep them from being true to themselves. I love the way that they are able, even indirectly, to help each other find a better course in life.

At about 100 pages Dear Jane is a fast read but that doesn't mean that it scrimps on the heart. The characters feel real, as do their troubles, and the pacing is well done. The writing keeps it from feeling rushed for being so short and helps deliver a swoon-worthy romance for the reader. Jane has a couple of friends who are sure to make an appearance soon and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of trouble Clarke dreams up for them. (Surely it can't be as good as setting fire to your date.)

This book is so huggable! I wish I would have read the print copy! I would seriously hug this book. Dear Jane is fluffy and so cute.

We meet Jane, whom we also instantly feel bad for her. She is super clumsy, and never gets second dates. Ever. Something bad always happens on the dates. She kind of reminds me of Laney Boggs from She's All That (the 1999 movie). Except they're both is super attractive! Anyway, I instantly fall into Jane's quirks and start roRate 4oting for her.

She gets set up into date after date, all failing miserably. I wanted to wedge myself in between her and Gandalf and eat the popcorn too! But Eric. Oh, swoon!!!

I was captivated by how well the sparks flew between them. While this has the famous trope, friends to lovers, that did not slow the story down. It held its own, and flew high!

I will definitely be reading more by Marissa Clarke! I need more cuteness!

What interested me about this story was the fact that the main character, Jane, couldn’t get past a first date. I wanted to know what was so bad about her that guys wouldn’t take a chance on another date.

The first things I noticed when I began to read is the point of view was in third person. I do prefer first person but it did fit this story. You are able to get more of an outsider perspective which is needed in this novel. What I really liked that Marissa did with her writing was the play on Eric’s feelings by combining them with his interest in crossword puzzles. It was very inventive for the answers to match what Eric was feeling at the time.

The author also did a great job of building the characters friendship with Friday night movie nights but I felt like I needed more. More of them getting to know each other and a greater connection of friendship. What was great between Eric and Jane was their sexual chemistry. The intimate scenes were written well. Their sexy banter was funny with how the author wrote them with legal terminology to show how they shared their career of being lawyers.

With a little over a hundred pages, Dear Jane is a sweet quick read. I liked the message I took from it being that the way we perceive people is not always spot on.

I adored this cute and sexy novella, DEAR JANE, by Marissa Clarke. While this book is part of a series, you don’t need to know anything about the other characters to enjoy DEAR JANE.

Lawyer Jane Dixon works for her family’s law firm, and is looking forward to making junior partner, even if it’s not the career she dreamed of when she was young. As far as she’s concerned, things would be perfect if she could find someone to share her life with. Enter Eric Blackwell (a swoon-worthy book boyfriend; *fans face*) who also works for Jane’s family firm. Eric also hopes to make junior partner. But while he’s had a thing for Jane for some time, she seems oblivious to him. And dating between employees is forbidden anyway, so he tries to keep things strictly platonic. But after Jane explains the challenges she faces dating (dates that are one outrageous disaster after another), Eric finds himself talked into fixing her up with his friends. Each blind date Jane goes out on ends with another hilarious disaster, and the two meet up at Jane’s place to eat popcorn and discuss who Jane should go out with next. Sparks soon fly, and romance between Eric & Jane ensues.

I loved the characters in this book. The voices are distinctly different, and each has just the right amount of insecurity to make this storyline work. Jane is sweet, and she has a great sense of humor. Eric is sexy and caring, and it’s clear he really longs to be with Jane. The chemistry between them delivers a nice, slow build, with just enough angst to keep a reader guessing. And the open-door bedroom scenes delivered the right amount of steam, without coming across as too heavy.

I look forward to reading other books by this author.

Thank you Entangled Publishing, NetGalley, and Marissa Clarke, for giving me an ARC of DEAR JANE in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. Clarke and her hilariously dangerous, yet endearing couple are a joy. Jane is a one woman tornado. Her love life is a testament to the disasters that are her constant shadow. The appeal of Dear Jane is that despite the odds and the accidents, love found a way. Eric found a way around Jane's imperfections and saw the beauty that hid within her soul. Thanks to Eric and Jane, Marissa Clarke delivered a beautiful message of empowerment while supplying laughs and touching hearts. Dear Jane is a short, sweet, irresistible treat.

Seemed to formulaic to me. Characters were one dimensional. While I liked the idea I wanted a lot more from it.

A spin-off from Marissa Clarke's Anderson Brothers series, Dear Jane offers a promising start to the Animal Attraction series.

"No lawyers. I will never date one. Ever. I’d rather stay single the rest of my life."

Slightly clumsy characters are always a favourite, partly as I feel a bond with them due to the fact that over the past couple of years I've had an iron drop on my head, have tobogganed down the stairs on my rear leaving my knee on the 11th step and forgotten to remove my hand before slamming a drawer shut. So a heroine who tries to set her date on fire? I'M THERE!

But dates on fire aren't the only things that sizzle here because the chemistry between lawyer, Jane Dixon and Eric Blackwell, also lawyer, is equally sizzling. This story may be short but it's a well tied-up little package with endearing characters who bring a hefty dose of humour, sweetness and heat.

"Counselor, there is a great disparity in our states of undress. I appear to be at a significant disadvantage.”"
"Allow me to remedy that, posthaste."

If light and fun is what you're after, this is definitely worth checking out and I'm very much looking forward to reading more in the series.

Dear Jane by Marissa Clarke is Book 1 of the Animal Attraction Series.

This is a very cute and heartwarming novella that is the perfect bit of everything all rolled up into one fantab read. Most definitely a must-read for any contemporary romance lover.

An ARC was generously provided in exchange for an honest review of which this is both honest and completely voluntary.