Author: Dirty Girl Anne

Should’ve Been Home Yesterday by Inez Kelly

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

16647445

Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Country Roads #3
Published: 7/21/14
Reviewed by Kate
189 pages

One night filled with alcohol and passion leaves Molly knocking at Webb’s door to tell him she’s pregnant.  A quick Vegas weekend later and they’re married.  Molly has been in love with Webb since she was eleven and hopes that he’ll come to love her as well.  But if he’s always holding himself back, will their marriage even have a chance to get off the ground?

Molly has know Webb her entire life (he’s 10 years older than she is), their families have been business partners going way back.  And she’s been in love with him just as long.  But there’s a huge, sad history standing between the two of them.  Webb knows that he can never make up for all the things that happened in the past, but he just can’t hand his heart over to Molly either.

This one started off with a strong pull on my heartstrings.  I love a marriage of convenience story and this one was one of the best that I’ve read.  Webb is determined not to risk his heart and Molly is just as determined to win it for herself.  The mystery of their past slowly unfolds through flashbacks and was perfectly combined with their present day romance to create a page turner that made me seriously book cranky.  An “interrupt me at your own risk” book.

A marriage of convenience, love that’s been hidden for years, a mystery about their pasts, and just enough suspense to keep your heart pounding.  This one is going on my year’s best list!

 

A Wife for One Year (Those Engaging Garretts!) By Brenda Harlen

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22405802
Grade: C+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 8/1/14
Reviewed by Kate
224 pages

Daniel and Kenna have been best friends since they were paired up as chemistry lab partners in high school.  Daniel gets a chance to fulfill a dream, but he needs access to his trust fund first.  And in order to get access to his trust fund, he needs a wife.  Kenna is the only one that he can think of, and the fact that she needs money to pay for her sister’s surgery means she quickly agrees to the plan as well.  But the agreement quickly turns into more than either of them had planned.

I read a lot of erotic romance and every once in a while I need a break.  I know that I can turn to Harlequin Special Edition for that palette cleanser.  This book was just what I needed!

It’s clear that Daniel and Kenna have a really close relationship prior to their marriage deal, and they’ve both kept their romantic feelings hidden.  There’s a lot of “but he’s/she’s my best friend and I don’t want to ruin that.”  There’s also lots of misunderstandings that could have easily been solved by the two of them actually talking.  Seriously.  A lot of misunderstandings.  Why the pair of them couldn’t just be up front about something I never did figure out.  But I guess if they had been upfront this would have been more of a novella than a full length.

Even with all the head smacking misunderstandings, I enjoyed this one a lot.  It was just what I wanted.  If you like low conflict and friends-to-lovers stories, give this one a try.

Bound to the Sea by Lyra Fawn

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22733140

Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Paranormal, Shifter, Serial
Series: Claimed by the Alpha Dolphins #1
Published: 7/15/14
Reviewed by Kate

Two dolphin princes, a gang of murderous shark-shifters, and one little librarian with an over developed sense of curiosity.  Put all in a blender, mix well, and you’ve got the first book in this dolphin-shifter serial.

Lucan and Dario are princes from warring dolphin pods.  They have been exiled and sent to land to find a descendant of Neptune.  The Descendant will be able to finally bring an end to the dolphins’ war.  Mona has been drawn to the water all her life and spends a great deal of her time lying on the beach watching all the surfers.  It’s no surprise that she spots Lucan and Dario the minute they step on the beach. They just have an aura about them.  What is surprising is when, in the midst of a shark attack, she notices them shift into dolphins and drive the shark away.  What’s a girl to do?  She either has to follow them to see if they really did turn into dolphins or she will have to wonder the rest of her life.  Of course, she follows them.

I got a little excited when I read the title of this series.  Dominate dolphin shifters?!  Sign me up.  And I was not disappointed.  Lucan and Dario are both swoon-worthy princes.  Mona is impulsive and carefree.  I feel like her character has some growing to do, but this is only the first part of a serial, so I’ll cut her some slack.  I look forward to seeing where these characters go from here.

I do feel it worth noting that there are a few steamy sex scenes in this book, but no menage scenes…at least not in this installment.

I’m curious on two things though.

1.  I was ridiculously excited to read about dolphin shifters, is there type of shifter that you wish someone would write about?  Or a kind of shifter that you wouldn’t want to read about?

2.  The new fad of serial releases is starting to grow on me a bit.  How about you?  Are you a serial fan or not?