Well, this was terrible.

While I understand that characters are supposed to grow, reading about a character like Annie is rather upsetting in this day and age. A pretty, dumb girl who has always gotten by on her looks? No thanks. An uptight professor? Some real thought was put into that one. (read: sarcasm), I GET IT, they help each other improve, they fall in 'love'. Whatever. Give me characters with real depth.

Maybe I've read too much feminist literature and writing to enjoy a book like this. Maybe I've read classic with real female character who are well developed and have meaning. Either way, this book was not worth my time.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this fun, fast-paced romance. I have a thing for sexy professors and Dom was perfect! Loved this book and can't wait to read more by this author!

I really liked the romantic novel. Good chemistry between characters.

This book was meh for me, nothing special. If she (author) included some more bedroom seances would be much better. I really didn't like the guy he was very pretentious and got on my nerves a lot.

thoroughly enjoyed this book

Transfixed,  Maddie Jane

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  romance, general fiction (adult)

This sounded fun, sometimes I want an absorbing in-depth read, sometimes something more easy and relaxing and this sounded perfect for that.

I liked the characters, starched, uptight professor Grayson and flight. flirty Annie. In an ideal world people are judged on who they are as people, not on what they look like, but I’ve had this conversation with someone recently, and we decided that in fact first appearances DO matter, that everyone takes a snapshot of what they see and categorises accordingly.
Sometimes though that front we project is carefully cultivated, either consciously or unconsciously, and that seems to be so with both these leads.

Dom moved to England to take up a professorship and put himself in what he thought was professor mode, it brought him the ideal fiancée, wife in training, someone perfect for that role, but he wasn’t really just Professor Grayson, but a much more layered persona. Luckily, though he doesn’t think so at the time, his fiancée sees sense and flees at the last minute. He’s back home with his family for the summer.
Annie is like a Barbie on steroids ( here in the UK we have Sindy, much more reserved....). She’s gorgeous and has come to play up to her appearnace, come to use that as a way of getting things done, always lived in the shadow of her intelligent sister. She seems to put herself down before anyone else can, and has come to use her appearance as a way of avoiding the need for that.

Underneath though, both these characters are very different people, and the six weeks they are together brings out their inner person, makes them happier.
Sadly it all falls apart with a bang. I so felt for both of them, wanted to smack Dom for being such a berk, but applauded how Annie coped. she really has got such a genuine heart and a real talent, but not in the direction her sister is taking her. She’s learned more than just Biz Ad though over those weeks, learned about herself and her actions, learned to see what she wants is important, she doesn't have to take second place, try to fit a role that isn’t for her.
She’s also fallen in love with Dom though....and he’s off back to UK soon, after they way they parted it seems unlikely she’ll see him again.
Dom’s also learned a lot about himself over the summer, but will he put it into practice, or run scared back to UK?

Its a fun read, a little too light for a five for me, but I enjoyed it and there were times I empathised with Annie, knowing just how she feels. I’m a lot like her, not the beauty sadly, but the feeling “lesser”, always wondering if I’m really in the right place, deserve to be there etc. I even went as far as Assertiveness Classes in my 30’s to see if I could learn to say No :-( Fail, I couldn’t, well not there anyway. Time has taught me a bit more and I’m not quite such a pushover, people pleaser now though its a constant battle. Like Annie I don’t want to upset others, like everyone to be happy.
While writing this I realised here I am at 58, been driving since I was 30 and I've never changed a tyre either...always had a lovely man come along, pleased to do it for me....I have tried but soon as I started someone has always appeared before I've really got started and finished the job.

Its got a good ending, but that did feel a bit sudden and rushed to me, I wasn’t quite convinced they had reached that point but...its a story that I had fun reading, but not a keeper for rereading.

Stars: three and a half, a fun story but a one off read for me.

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers