A Reviews

Beyond Solitude by Kit Rocha

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
20639564
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond #4.5
Published: 4/1/14*
Reviewed by Anne
Pages: 126

*Note: This novella is part of the Alphas After Dark Anthology. The authors report that the anthology will be on sale for 99c in April and after that the novella will be priced at $2.99

So, just as I was finishing up with my review of Beyond Jealousy, I was lucky enough to get this ARC of Beyond Solitude.  I devoured it!  It takes place at the same time as Beyond Solitude, but could easily be read first.  In fact, this one probably stands alone better than any of the stories in the series besides the first one.  

Derek Ford is a member of the O’Kane gang.  Unfortunately a broken leg and old fashioned healing has left him tied to his desk a whole lot more than he likes.  One day he’s surprised to discover Mia in his office.  She’s new to the sector and she’s not an O’Kane, but she’s got ties to Lex, the O’Kane queen.  Lex gave Mia a job – she’s supposed to help Ford out with his office work.  Ford is grumpy and not appreciative of Mia invading his space, but Mia’s determined to make things work.

I showed the following quote to pretty much everyone in my bookclub trying to convince them to read this series!

“I need a job. If you don’t want me to mess with your files, fine—”

“Okay. Don’t mess with my files.”

She didn’t falter, didn’t even blink. “Then tell me what to do instead.”


If I were an asshole… He waved the bottle of whiskey at her. “You could start by letting me drink half of this and jerk off so I can get some sleep.”

That snapped her teeth together—for about five seconds. “If you’re self-conscious about doing that with me in the next room, I could take some work home.”

“Self-conscious?” He dropped the bottle on his desk and unbuckled his belt. “I’ll lay it out right here, buttercup, if you like to watch.”

Her gaze flicked to his hands, and he got that flash of tongue he’d been waiting for as she wet her lips. “I wouldn’t be watching. I’d be working.”

Filing papers like there was nothing more interesting going on? Fuck that. “Bullshit.” Ford tugged open the top button on his jeans. “It may be a little battered these days, like the rest of me, but my ego’s not dead. If I start stroking my dick right in front of you, you’re damn sure gonna be paying attention. Not just watching—riveted.”  p.7


This is on page SEVEN!  And really, the story starts on page 5, so it’s really like page 3…  It’s one hot story.  

It’s also got one of the things I like most about the Beyond series – strong women who support each other.  Mia has issues.  She’s working through them, but it’s really important for her to stand on her own.  That means falling for her new boss causes her some problems.  The real conflict in this story comes when Ford doesn’t understand why it’s a problem for him to be her boss and lover.  The way he makes it up to her is one of the most memorable “I’m sorry” gifts I’ve ever read, though!

This story could probably be read anywhere in the series, as it stands alone really well.    It’s tamer than most of the other stories, too, as Mia and Ford aren’t really interested in the orgies or PDA that the rest of the O’Kanes enjoy so much.  So, it might even be a good entry point.  I highly recommend it, and even though I got a review copy of this short story,  I’m still going to buy the anthology.  For 99c it’s hard to turn down!

Improper Proposals by Juliana Ross

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
20409275
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical
Series: Improper #3
Published: 3/24/14
Reviewed by Anne
122 pages

“Instead of instructing young wives on how to roast a chicken or darn a sock or ease colic in an infant, I want you to write a guide that will tell them, plainly and directly, what they might expect from marital relations with their husbands.  It will tell them that it could and should be a pleasant experience, and not a shameful necessity to which they are bound to submit.”  -p.24

When her husband of eleven years dies, Caroline is distraught and alone, with no other family to turn to.  As time passes, she throws herself into the project of writing an instruction manual for young wives.   Once it’s done, she seeks out a friend of her husband’s who is a publisher.  She’s disappointed when he says there’s no market for her book, but he contacts her again, impressed with her writing and proposes she write the same sort of book, but this time have it focused on “marital relations.”

Juliana Ross really shines in this story!  I devoured it in one sitting and wanted to turn around and re-read it immediately!  Since Caroline lives in the country, and her publisher, Tom, lives in London, they send letters and manuscripts through the mail, then meet in person about once per month to discuss things. I loved the contrast between the formal way they talk and write letters to each other and how very dirty they are in the bedroom.  It was great read and an incredibly hot one!  The author also manages to sell me on a second love of a lifetime without bashing the first – something I really appreciate!  

My biggest complaint was how Caroline handled the obstacle they faced near the end of the story.  It seemed out of character, especially when the solution seemed so easy to me.  However, the way Tom reacted really redeemed things.  He was so confident in her love for him and his for her that he was able to handle things well.

I also want to note that Tom is a dirty talker in the bedroom, and Caroline finds that she really enjoys it.  The sex scenes are very well written!  I highly recommend this book – it’s going on my best of the year list!

Love In Straight Sets by Rebecca Crowley

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Love in Straight Sets          

           

Grade-A-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
159 pages

Regan is the resident diva of the tennis world.  She’s gone through coaches faster than Augustus Gloop ate his way through the Wonka factory.  She’s planning on retiring soon, but wants one last win.  A big one.  At the Baron’s Open.  Enter Ben, a one-hit wonder who won the Baron’s Open years ago and then disappeared from the tennis courts.  He’s agreed to coach Regan and she’s agreed not to fire him.  Both Regan and Ben are drawn to each other, but his job hinges on his ability to keep his hands off Regan, and his sister’s safety depends on him keeping his job.

The world of sports romance is dominated by MMA, football, baseball, and hockey men.  And while I enjoy a good sports romance every once in a while, I’m kind of tired of the same-old, same-old.  How many big, buff guys running around the football field or sparring in the ring can you really read about?  The fact that this one is about a tennis playing female was such a refreshing change of pace.

These are characters that I quickly fell in love with.  Regan wasn’t just an outright bitch.  You get to see what’s under the surface that makes her a character you root for. I loved that Ben saw right through Regan’s diva act.  He didn’t put up with her crap at all and saw through to the vulnerability underneath.  They both have their moments of stupidity that made me just want to yell at them, especially Ben.  But if those moments hadn’t been there I would probably be complaining that they were too perfect.

My only complaint…I would have appreciated more sex in this one.  There’s no sex until 84% into the story and then we only get one scene.  Honestly though, the story was so engaging that I didn’t realize that I was already that far into the story.

I absolutely loved this one.  It’s the first book that I’ve read by Rebecca Crowley, but I’ve already added some of her back list to my TBR pile.  This one is definitely worth reading.