A Reviews

Truly by Ruthie Knox

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
18481904

Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: New York #1
Published: 8/5/14
Reviewed by Anne
315 pages

Wisconsin girl May is stranded in New York.  She very publicly rejected her boyfriend, Dan, when he proposed, then managed to dump him in private, leave his apartment, and get mugged on her way to the airport.  She doesn’t want to reach out to Dan to help her out, so she’s nursing a beer she bought with her last $5 in a Packers bar.  She’s hoping to find a friendly person who might help her out.  Instead she finds Ben.

“When she’d tried to catch his eye, venturing a friendly smile in his direction, he’d pulled a paperback book out of his back pocket and propped an elbow on the bar between them.
Do not disturb, that elbow said.
And also, just possibly, I am a dick.” p. 7

Ben is coming off of a really horrible, angry year.  In an attempt to convince himself there is a little bit of him that can pretend to be polite, he eventually stops ignoring May and offers to help her out.

There was so much to love about this book!  First and foremost, May was a woman from Wisconsin, with deep Wisconsin roots, and I found I identified with her a lot.  Not in personality as much as some of the things that shaped her.  The need to be polite.  The ability to hold her liquor.  (Ok, actually I’ve never had that ability, but it is something that most Wisconsinites I know possess.)  The love of the Packers.

I give bonus points to this story because May’s dad is an engineer at a nuclear power plant!  I used to work at a nuclear power plant and it’s something you rarely see mentioned in a romance!  It wasn’t a big part of the story at all, but just the mention made me grin!  Also, May’s ex was a quarter back for the Packers!  That was awesome, and knowing what a star that would make him in Wisconsin (even after he got traded to New York) made it very believable that May’s family would think he was perfect for her – it would be like dating a prince!

May has a lot of insecurities, but they are not crippling.  She becomes more and more self aware throughout the book and shakes herself out of behaviors that are driven by her insecurities.  That was really wonderful to read!  Ben was also an interesting character.  He’d been so angry for so long, he really had to put forth an effort to behave in a civil manner.  He and May really help each other, but the changes they make are for themselves, not to try to impress each other.

May and Ben each have some issues with their parents, and those relationships were very well written.  No one was made out to be just a villain.  Most importantly to me, while progress was made in these relationships, nothing was neat and tied up with a bow.  It was about May and Ben changing to meet the challenges in their lives, not magical improvement for every character in the book.

I really enjoyed May’s sister and their relationship.  I see on Goodreads that there will be another story coming out in 2015, and I really hope it’s about May’s sister!  I wouldn’t say no to a story about Dan, either, though!

This was originally published as a serial on Wattpad, an app I downloaded on my iPad just to read this book.  But then I never read it.  I’m not crazy about serials, and in this case I’m really glad I waited until I had the whole thing.  I highly recommend this story to anyone who likes contemporary romance.  It was a great read!  Let me know if you can recommend another romance with a character from Wisconsin!

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!

 

All Time Favorite Read: Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

*Note: We’re on vacation this weekend, so I’m re-sharing one of my all time favorite books.  If you’ve been thinking of trying m/m romance, this is a great story to start with.

Tigers and Devils
Grade-A+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Genre: m/m, Contemporary
Series: Tigers and Devils #1
Reviewed by Anne

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book! It was incredible! I didn’t want to put it down.  I was severely book cranky inbetween reading sessions. I see there is a sequel that catches up with Simon and Declan a few years later. I will definitely read it, but for now I just want them to be perfectly happy in my head for a while!
Tigers and Devils is a contemporary male/male romance set in Australia.  And when I say it’s set in Australia, it’s really in Australia, with Australian slang and references I had to figure out.  Declan is a pro footballer and a mega celebrity.  He just happens to overhear Simon both insulting and defending him at a party.  Simon is a huge football fan, but a bit of an “arty wanker”.  After overhearing a comment that lets him know Simon is gay, Declan comes on to Simon when they are alone.  The only hitch is that Declan is far, far in the closet.  And this starts a funny and touching journey for the two of them together.

There were several things I loved about this book.  I smiled constantly while reading it.  The whole story is told from Simon’s point of view, and he’s a funny, self-depreciating guy.  The story also feels very realistic.  I believed in Simon and Declan’s affection for each other.  That made their situation all the more gut wrenching.

Simon and Declan were great characters, too.  Neither was perfect, and both made frustrating decisions.  The way they worked through things was realistic, too.  It’s incredible writing!

There were a few little things that might bother some readers.  As I mentioned, the story is told exclusively from Simon’s point of view.  This worked fine for me.  Also, the sex in this book is behind closed doors and not detailed. There’s no doubt it takes place, and there’s lots of it, but it’s not written explicitly.

I highly recommend this story!