Julia just wants one summer of fun before entering the real adult world. Oh, and she has sworn off hot guys- the type who are more into themselves than the relationship- after her break up with super hot guy, Andy.  Julia and her best friend Jade have found what were supposed to be easy jobs nannying on the coast of Maine.  However, when Julia arrives in Maine she is greeted by an even wilder than usual Jade, whose personal life is crumbling as well as Dylan, the 10 year old boy that she is nannying for.  Dylan's needs are very specific and his mom forgot to mention that most nannies haven't made it past 10 days with him.  And, did I mention the hot guys that seem to be everywhere?  There is Sterling, a sweet but smooth-talking surfer who also teaches Dylan's lifeguard training and Liam, a seemingly rude and confusing housekeeper  for Dylan's family that Julia has to live with for the summer.  Julia forgets her one rule and then seems to make a mess of everything.  At least she is a source of entertainment for her friends!

 Manservant is a humorous and sexy new adult romance that I easily got lost in.  Shari J. Ryan is a master at creating a slow build in sexual tension with back and forth witty banter and puns.  I didn't know whether to love or hate Liam and I think he got me into as much of a frenzy as he did to Julia.  

"Fine?" he whispers in my ear.  As unexpected as my voice is, being so close to me, his words make my heart pound in a way it hasn't beat in a very long time, possibly ever.  "I could think of a few different words to describe you, but 'fine' would be at the bottom of that list."

The characterization is also amazing, Julia seems like the perfect best friend as well as a very real young adult in the world.  I loved that she found and named the Shermanator and the picture had me cracking up. I also loved Julia's strength when she found out that he boyfriend was cheating as well as when she found out that Dylan has Asperger's syndrome.  Julia did not give up or give in, she learned as much as she could and tried to do everything right for Dylan.  I applaud the inclusion of Dylan's character and the realities of his everyday life without it being the main point of the book.

The romance and sex aspects are just right for my tastes.  There are several sultry scenes that had just the right amount of allure with a dash of fun; and with Julia's inner monologue it was just perfect.  Overall, a steamy summer read with a mix of romance, drama and plenty of fun.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

I really didn't know what I was getting into when I won this book, but I was glad that I did.  This is a compilation of fictional short stories from a variety of authors that showcase the relationships between animals and humans.  Through these stories, we are reminded that the way we treat animals reflects back on us as humans.

Some thoughts on my favorite stories in the compilation: 

Litter: Told from a stray dog's point of view as the dog tries to survive on the streets and an examines the relationship of its human rescuers as the muddle through a relationship.  I loved this story and the dogs point of view, we hear many rescue stories from the human's point of view that is always how the animal saved the human.  I appreciate the story from the other side and examining how dogs end up on the street.

The Boto's Child: An enchanting and magical story about the mythology surrounding the pink river dolphins of the Amazon, the Boto's.  Even though completely based on mythology of several native Amazon tribes, this moving story shows how humans have empathized with the Boto for centuries.

Miriam's Lantern: An appropriate closing story for the collection; a young man watches the last of a species of bird die alone in captivity.  As he watches the bird live out it's life, he examines his own choices, knowing that he had a hand in the species demise.  I thought this story was especially poignant today, as we may very well be watching a variety of species die due to choices we have made.

Among Animals was provided for free through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.

​Among Animals 2 is a collection of short stories that examines the varied relationships between humans and animals.  With a mix of contemporary fiction, historical stories, dystopian and science fiction, many different aspects of these relationships are able to be captured. Some of these stories will make you uncomfortable, some are sweet and comforting, all will make you think about the relationships humans share with animals that are pets, in captivity, on farms or in the wild and how our actions affect them. 

Some stories that affected me were:

Phoenix Cross looks into factory farming of chickens and genetic engineering.  Some of us may know exactly the horrid conditions in which factory farmed chickens are raised, we might ignore it, we may not care, some of us might choose free-range chickens.  Phoenix Cross brings out not only the effects of this method on the chickens, but on the farmers as well.  I loved the connection of boy and bird in this story and the bird's point of view really made me think about how our food gets to us.

Exotic Animal Alert: Please Post Widely inspects caretakers and zoo animals as well as the close bond one might form with an animal that is truly wild.  Again, an animal point of view was used in order to empathize with the clouded leopard point of view.  What I found most interesting was the differing opinions about Sokar the clouded leopard formed by the husband and wife who raised him and how Sokar's presence impacted their relationship.

A Normal Rabbit is the story of a family and their ordinary pet rabbit, Camper.  Camper is a symbol for many things in the family, but most of all Camper's presence is able to elicit responses of empathy for other living things.

Overall, an interesting compilation of stories that will hopefully make readers reexamine their relationships with the animals and environment around them.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.