Book Review and Giveaway: Taking Something, ends 2/28

Taking Something, by Elizabeth Lee.

Looking in her eyes told me two things. First, she was eating up every single word I was saying like she was a fat kid in a cupcake factory. Two, she was already head over heels in love with me, even if she didn't know it.

When I signed up for this blog tour, I wasn't aware that Taking Something was the sequel to Give Me Something, which I haven't read. I was told that Taking Something could be read as a stand-alone novel, however, so I decided to partake in the tour. The comments on Give Me Something's Goodreads review page about the character that this new book focuses on were quite funny - apparently he's something of a player and a jerk in the first novel - but I thought he was an interesting character in this book, and I liked him overall.

Official synopsis:

Elizabeth Lee

I know what you're thinking. “You were such a jerk, Nick!” Believe me, I know I screwed up the best thing I had going in my life, but that was kind of my thing. I’d learned how to run cons before I could even form complete sentences, and I'd always been selfish. But I changed. Lila forgave me, my brother and I were getting along, and I was trying to make a name for myself in the music world.

At least that was what I was trying to do when I negotiated my way into the recording studio with pop superstar Sadie Sinclair. I thought it would be a piece of cake—charm my way into her heart and into her record label's good graces.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out, I got mixed up in a web of lies, manipulation, and deception. A web that had me questioning my motives and desires altogether.

Was the fame and fortune really worth the price?
-

I'm definitely going to go back and read Give Me Something now, because I'm curious to learn more about Nick and his backstory. This novel does give a little backstory, in that we learn that Nick and his brother, Tucker, had been competing for Lila's affections in the first novel; now, Lila is pregnant and married to Tucker, and is Nick's best friend. Nick moves to LA to be the producer for Sadie Sinclair's new album, and figures that it will be easier to manipulate Sadie if they're dating.

Right off the bat that makes him sound like a jerk, but let me assure you that it turns out that she's quite a manipulator as well.

What makes things complicated is that Nick is truly falling for Gia, Sadie's best friend and assistant, but can't pursue that since Gia is also complicated and Sadie is suspicious of everything he does.

Overall I liked this novel and would like to read more of Elizabeth Lee's work, as this was the first book I've read of hers. There were a few typos throughout but I was reading an ARC (Advance Reader's Copy) so I'm sure they will be fixed before it goes to print. The characters and situations in the novel were completely believable, and Nick is a character with many layers - at first glance, he might seem like a cocky jerk, but he also is able to care deeply for those that he loves.

3.5 stars out of 5.

*Disclosure: I received an e-galley of this book to facilitate this review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

GIVEAWAY:

The other book bloggers in the book tour and I are giving away a great prize pack, courtesy of InkSlinger PR. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below. U.S./Canada residents only. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email once contest has completed, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway