Catch Me if You Can by Stacey Espino

Catch Me If You Can

Grade: C
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink (other than menage)
Genre: Contemporary, Menage

Reviewed by Kate
 
When Christina’s grandmother died, she left Christina a two-month vacation in her will.  So, dull bank worker Christina heads off to Golden Acres.  But Golden Acres isn’t the luxury spa she was expecting, it’s a farm run by Noah, Jake, and James (dear old gran’s hot cowboy neighbors).
 
Noah, Jake (brothers), and James (an orphan) were raised by a womanizing drunk who was hardly ever around.  As a result, none of the three have learned to love.  In fact, all of them have a reputation as womanizers themselves.  They know Christina is a commitment kind of girl yet none can resist.
 
Years ago, when Christina was used by her seventeen year old crush, she decided she was unlovable.  She went on to become the most boring and sexless person possible.  Why does she now find herself attracted to not only one, but 3 hot cowboys?  And can she find the courage to do something about it?  Just how many days in the country does it take to get to the smutty center of the dull bank worker?  One…Two…Three…
 
I would have enjoyed this story more except little things kept pulling me out of the fantasy.  Little things like:
 
1.  On the way to Golden Acres, the highway is closed down, forcing Christina to leave her friend (who was driving her) and walk a mile down said closed road to where Noah could pick her up.  What-no detour?  Oh wait, there’s one mentioned on the next page.  Why didn’t she just use that?
 
2.  When she finally arrives at Golden Acres the first thing she does is take a shower, where she uses a razor she finds in the shower to shave.  Seems a little ballsy to me, right?  Besides, who doesn’t shave before leaving for a stay at what she thinks is a luxury spa?
 
3.  Jake, Noah, and James don’t even really like each other in the beginning, so how is sharing a woman going to work for them?
 
Anyway, the list goes on for a while.  Despite all that, the book was definitely hot, hot, hot.

Lover At Last by J. R Ward

Lover At Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #11)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Low
Series-Black Dagger Brotherhood #11
Reviewed by Kay

Beware there are spoilers below!

Blay and Qhuinn? Where do I start? I loved it! I just loved it! Okay, first off, I am so glad J.R. Ward finally brought them together. We have all waited forever. The relationship has been painful to watch over the years. My heart has always went out to Blay and in the last two books, Qhuinn. Before that, Qhuinn was kind of an asshat. I know he was in denial but come on! Watching their love unfold in this novel was beautiful. I couldn’t be anymore happy.

The fight for the throne? Yikes, I’m kind of scared about this one. It should be very interesting how this unfolds. Wrath and Beth? A baby? I hope so. Wrath handling the glymera? Loved it!

Qhuinn’s brother? Hmm? We’ll have to see about him. I’m still mad at him for his previous treatment of his brother.

Xcor and Layla? Wow! I can not freaking wait for their story!

Trez and Iam? Oh, please, please, please. Now!

Saxton, what’s he up to? I really like him. I wonder if he’s gonna upset me.

Qhuinn and Layla? What a wonderful relationship! I’m glad Qhuinn has an actual female friend.

An induction into the Brotherhood? Qhuinn? What about John Matthew and Blay?

I had three big problems with this book though. One was Blay’s dishonesty with Qhuinn about the end of his relationship with Saxton. Two was Qhuinn being okay with what he thought was cheating with Blay against Saxton. And three, Assail, in general. Don’t like his character.  I hope I will learn to like him like I did Rev.

This was a great read and I can not wait for the next book! I wish the next book was Xcor and Layla but no, it’s Wrath and Beth. Oh well!

The Daddy Pact by Kristy K. James

The Daddy Pact
Grade: C
Hotness Level: No Sex
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary

Reviewed by Kate


Dan’s drug addicted brother has done the unthinkable-he’s killed a man just home from his honeymoon.  Dan decides he needs to do whatever he can to try to make things easier for the victim’s widow, Jess.  The news that she is pregnant wakes Jess from the haze of depression she’s been living in since her husband dies over 3 months ago.  When her ex-father-in-law threatens to take the baby from her, Dan offers to marry Jess (in name only, of course) and adopt the baby.

Once the pair are married, the ex-father-in-law ceases to be a threat.  Then the story becomes about dealing with the guilt.  Dan feels responsible because he had seen his brother shortly before the murder.  Jess feels disloyal to her dead husband because she begins having feelings for Dan.  Can Jess and Dan get past the guilt to build a real marriage?

I am an avid reader of the marriage of convenience plot line, but this one fell a little short of my hopes. Perhaps just a bit too much realism for my escape reading.  Well, that and the lack of sex didn’t help either.