Author: Dirty Girl Anne

One in a Million by Jill Shalvis

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

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Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Lucky Harbor #12
Published: 10/14/14
Reviewed by Kate
368 pages

Tanner is the last of the Lucky Harbor Charters trio to pair up.  He’s happy being a loner, taking care of everyone in his life but not risking his heart.  Callie has been sent to Lucky Harbor, where she grew up, to determine if her grandma, Lucille, is crazy or not.  She’s was left at the alter years ago and is not willing to put her heart on the line again.  A very casual relationship between Tanner and Callie seems to be just what they both need.  Until they both start to want more.

Tanner is my new favorite Shalvis hero, although Anne would tell you that I say that about every Shalvis hero I read.  But seriously, when you read about the sucker valentine from high school you’ll completely understand why I melted for a fictional hero.  I think Tanner’s going to be my new book boyfriend (shh…don’t tell my husband).  Callie is such a wonderful, quirky character.  Her grandmother is Lucille, so can we expect anything else?  But behind her funny and klutzy exterior there’s such a genuine fragileness that you can’t help but root for her as she struggles to get over the pains and disappointments of her past.

We’ve reached the final Lucky Harbor book and I have to admit to being a little sad at seeing it come to an end.  However, Shalvis did such a marvelous job of finishing the series strong and I’m looking forward to seeing what she writes for us next.  If you haven’t read a Lucky Harbor book yet, you’re missing out on a funny and heartwarming small-town series.  Pick up any book in this series and you’ll find yourself going back to read the rest.  But I think this one’s my favorite of the bunch.

Dance With Me by Heidi Cullinan

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

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Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Published: 7/6/11
Reviewed by Anne
240 ebook pages

Ed is adjusting to his new life just fine, thank you very much!  His semi-pro football career may have been ended by an injury, but he’s just fine with his desk job and teaching weight lifting at the community center.  The only thing that bothers Ed is the obnoxiously loud music from the aerobics class that Laurie teaches.

Laurie’s career as an acclaimed dancer veered off track a few years ago, but he’s totally fine with the new life he’s built.  Despite his undeniable talent, he’s never appeared back on stage.  He’s very, very happy teaching dance to kids and aerobics at the community center.  If only Ed would stop bothering him about his music!

When Ed crashes Laurie’s class yet again complaining about the music, Laurie is surprised when Ed offers to do anything to get him to give it a rest.  Laurie surprises himself by asking for help with the ballroom dance class he’s teaching.  When the two of them start to enjoy each other’s company they start to realize they’ve been lying to themselves about how fine they are.  Together and separately they have to work through their issues.

I went into this story expecting something lighter.  Because it involved dance, and because I’d just read a couple lighter Cullinan books (Love Lessons & Fever Pitch) I just expected this to be a fun and simple read.  It turned out to be heavier and more complex, and I’m so glad it did!  This is definitely not just a love story, but almost a coming of age story for two men well past 20!

Ed was pretty unaware of himself and in denial about his injury and life changes.  Cullinan did such a good job writing this.  Ed’s also a pretty straight forward kind of guy, and that somehow makes the way he lies to himself more wrenching.  Laurie seems to be more prone to drama at the core, but is in a more emotionally stable place in his life.  They were very good together!

I really enjoyed this story!  I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys m/m romance!

Banner O’Brien by Linda Lael Miller

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

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Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical
Series: The Corbins #1
Published: 1991
Reviewed by Kate
310 pages

Linda Lael Miller takes us back to Washington Territory 1886 in a book that brought back many fond “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” memories with a large dose of hunky man doctor thrown in.  What a delicious read!

After divorcing her abusive and unfaithful husband, Banner O’Brien does an almost unheard of thing-she becomes a doctor.  When she discovers that her ex is back in town, she takes the first offer she gets and heads to the Washington territory to take over for an injured doctor.  One of the first people she meets is Adam Corbin, hunky, sexy doctor extrodinaire.  This one is filled with all the romance I’ve come to expect from Linda Lael Miller and more.  Adam has his own secrets that he’s keeping and in the beginning they frustrated me.  What were they and why couldn’t he share? But when the big reveal happened…I understood and the book became all the better.

This was the perfect book at the perfect time.  If you liked Dr. Quinn but always wished her relationship with Sully was more steamy, this is the book for you.  Do you have any TV shows you’d like to see recreated in a romance?