All the books in the Martha’s Way series are standalone and can be read out of order.
Twenty-seven year old, African-American, Minka Greene has to endure watching her twin sister marry the man she loves. Her weight is up, and her confidence is down. Not exactly the ideal time to meet the real man of her dreams.
The Scale opens in Martha’s Vineyard with Minka attending Keely and Blake’s … and Blake’s engagement party at Martha’s Way, the beautiful inn owned and operated by the tall, blond, tattooed man with the piercing blue eyes. It just so happens Jason Montgomery is also Blake’s childhood friend and the best man. Dealing with a whirl of emotions, Minka faints in Jason’s arms.
When she wakes up naked in Jason’s bed after a night of passion, the Vineyard confirmed bachelor struggling with his own demons and the woman filled with self-doubt and pining for another man are joined in an experience that will change their lives.
The Scale is book 1 of the Martha’s Way series. All the books in the Martha’s Way series can be read as a standalone.
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What a beautiful reflection on what so many of us feel – the heroine struggles with her weight, like most of us do. Don’t you just hate the media and how it makes us feel so worthless because we cannot photoshop our bodies in real life? Anyway, I thought the portrayal of Minka was so brilliantly written and so very realistic in the telling. I really loved Minka’s character, and I want to thank the author for portraying a heroin that we can actually relate to.
I thought Jason’s portrayal was sublime. There really isn’t anything about this book that I did not like. A real gem of a book.
The Scale was a nicely written novel. The author did a good job of capturing the essence of Minka’s character and her self loathing. I loved the bits of levity throughout; moreover, I enjoyed reading the quotes which began each chapter and focused on things to do with scales as well as reinforce the novel’s theme.
So good
There’s so much emotion packed into this story. I shed more than a few tears while going along Minka and Jason’s journey. I can’t wait to jump into Lily’s book!
4,5 Stars
Minka and Jason have to go through a lot to get to their HEA, but I really enjoyed many elements of their story. It is written in third person from a dual POV. Each chapter begins with a quote regarding scale, and that was an element I really loved. There is also quite a bit of music incorporated into the story. The setting of Martha’s Vineyard is perfection, and now it is added to places I need to visit some day.
Minka has to overcome a lot of insecurity, self-doubt, and sibling rivalry to get to a place where she can honestly love Jason and really understand what love means. Jason has his own baggage that he has to overcome, and part of that is dealing with Minka’s insecurities. The physical presence of the scale in the bathroom is the barometer throughout the story of Minka’s self-hatred and finally- growth. I really appreciated the rivalry in Minka’s mind between twins and the inferiority Minka felt. My personal experience with sibling relationships made their story feel very real, though very sad. I hated that Minka doubted her own beauty but loved the fact that Jason did not see her flaws. I really loved the growth that Minka has over the course of the story as she learns to love herself. I will admit to wishing she had pulled herself together a little faster, but a lot of growth had to occur and that takes time. The chemistry between Minka and Jason is hot and powerful. Jason is a solid hero that doesn’t realize how far he has fallen or how fast. That is always one of my favorite things. He has some family history that has influenced his perception of love, and those perceptions are corrected during his growth through the book. The secondary characters are a likable group that I want to read more of right away. The plot and story move at an excellent pace. Overall, I really loved the story and the setting and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Refreshing read
It was OK. Somewhat predictable (the melodrama) and somewhat not (the change in perspective on past events and people). Decent book, but somehow lacks a real accounting of how families can be unintentionally toxic. For the female protagonist, things were way too one-sided, unusually to it being all her fault instead of a more balanced reality. Having grown up in a very skewed family, I found that part not only unrealistic, but kind of insulting. People don’t end up warped by their family for something that’s only in their head.
But it was decently written, with a much more interesting plot than most in the genre and better character arcs.
My first book from this author, will not be the last. Absolutely loved the story line. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
This was the first novel I have read by this author. I read the reviews first before putting it in on my Kindle Unlimited list. The reviews were mixed, so I was not sure what to expect. however I totally enjoyed this novel. It was entertaining although it did drag in some spots. This novel did touch on some issues that many women face. There are a lot of couples in this novel and there are teasers in this novel for the upcoming novels in this series. Keely and Blake do not have their couples own novel as the other three couples. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter about scales became annoying after a bit. BLURB: Minka is the maid of honor for her fraternal twin sister, Keely, who is marrying Minka’s secret crush, Blake. Minka and Keely have not had a close sisterly or twin relationship due to Minka’s insecurities about their fraternal twin differences. Blake met Minka while she was at college and they became fast friends. However when she introduces Blake to her sister, Keely, years after college it is instant love. Minka has only disclosed her crush to her female BFF, Lilly. Lily encourages Minka to be adventurous and have a fling with someone while she is attending her sister’s wedding. Did I mention the wedding is being held at Martha’s Vineyard? Minka resists the idea of having a wedding fling with anyone until Blake’s best man, Jason, steps into the picture. All of a sudden Minka is trying to keep secrets from everyone as she steps out of her comfort zone and find a new normal and the HEA she has always wanted.
Minka was a beautiful, curvy, smart woman who felt like she always lived in the shadow of her thinner, more vibrant twin. She comes to Martha’s Vineyard for the wedding of her twin to one of her best friends, Blake, whom she has been secretly in love with for 6 years. She introduced them 2 years ago and they have been a couple ever since. She kept hoping they wouldn’t last, but now the wedding is in two weeks and she is the Maid of Honor. She has serious body issues, feels like she is fat, and even brings a small scale with her for this mini vacation.
Jason is one of Blake’s childhood friends who grew up on the island with him and Adam, Claire, and Forrest. He is Blake’s Best Man and is immediately attracted to Minka. He loves her curves. The chemistry between them is off the charts. But Minka still has unresolved feelings for Blake mixing with new, different feelings for Jason. Jason seems to have girlfriends on every corner. Minka and her sister’s relationship needs some work. Minka has always been jealous of her twin.
I enjoyed this book, having lived for a long time with my own body issues, I got where Minka was coming from. It doesn’t matter how many times someone tells you how beautiful you are, until you see it and believe it for yourself, it doesn’t change your image of yourself. I think Mika did a good job dealing with this subject and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was glad our couple found a HEA and have also found that I can count on this author to always give me a great book to read!
I think it is my favorite of the Martha’s Vineyard series written by Mike Jolie. It holds your attention with the characters and the events that they are involved in. The four men and the one female that all grew up together in this tight knit community weave stories that are intriguing with their different life influences from childhood to adult. It is a must read in my opinion and I am believer that you won’t be disappointed!
I love Jason and Minka’s book. I love how they are there for each other and show each other what love is about.
Favorite quote: Jason to Minka ~ “No more walls. I see all that you are, and I want it all. Let go and look at me. Perhaps you should start seeing me for all that I am because I am filled with flaws.”
Deliciously sweet and sensual! One of my all-time-favorites! I absolutely LOVED it! The story was captivating and I couldn’t put it down! Jason and Minka just clicked together. I liked the way they interacted with each other and how gentle Jason was with Minka. They both had their struggles but the chemistry between them was spell-bounding. I couldn’t get enough. It was so beautiful to watch. This is definitely one you should read! I would HIGHLY recommend it! Thank you Mika Jolie for writing this book! Hands down, Jason and Minka is my most favorite book couple.
This was a pleasant unexpected surprise. Loved the characters, location, and plot. At first I was put off by the heroine’s whiny talk about her weight, but the author did a great job in getting the reader to understand that it held deeper meaning
When Minka is recruited into being the maid of honor for her sister, she is tormented by the very thought. The man Minka has been in love with for years is the groom and somehow she has to hide her feelings as the event approaches. Jason’s attention is supposed to be for one night but when one night turns into two weeks leading up to the wedding, Minka finds herself filled with self-introspection even as she falls in love with the one night-stand-man she’s involved with.
Wow, this was filled with quite a bit of angst as Minka struggles with not only her feelings for her sister’s fiancée but her own self-image. Add in the insecurities regarding Jason’s outlook on their relationship and this was a whole bag of deep, cutting emotions.
This felt very real to life as so many of us suffer in the same manner as the heroine. Many times throughout the story I saw myself in her. The resolution of the conflict within herself as well as between this couple was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I loved that Jason wanted only what was best for her and never forced his beliefs and concerns upon her.
This was a relatively fast paced read with great secondary characters which have their own stories. The heat level between the hero and heroine was flaming and I felt their chemistry was very well done. There were a few things that I felt had not been dealt with completely but they weren’t necessary to the whole of the book but I would have liked them to give me a fuller view of Minka and Jason individually and together. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I’ll be moving forward to the next book soon.