A Reviews

Beyond Addiction by Kit Rocha

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

18392414

Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond #5
Published: 8/11/14
Reviewed by Anne
229 ebook pages

For starters, you really have to read this series in order.  You officially start with Beyond Shame, book #1, but if you want a smaller taste, you can read Beyond Solitude, which is #4.5, but stands alone really, really well.  And I think you should read this series, because it’s dark and gritty and really, really good.  Oh, and it’s really, really hot, too.

Trix has long been a background character in the O’Kane gang.  She’s a bartender and a dancer at their bar.  At the end of book #4, Beyond Jealously, Trix gets kidnapped and taken to Sector 5, and we learn that’s where she escaped from her life as a prostitute addicted to drugs.

Finn is an enforcer for Mac, the evil overlord of Sector 5.  He actually lives just to undermine Mac, and has since Mac facilitated the overdose of Finn’s favorite girl, Tracy.  He doesn’t care much about living or dying, but he knows Mac is horrible and he’s working on a one man mission to ruin his rule over Sector 5.

That all changes when Finn is called into Mac’s office and sees the newly kidnapped Trix.  Trix is Tracy.  She never really died, she escaped to Sector 4 and changed her name.  Seeing Trix/Tracy spurs Finn to action like nothing else has, and Trix and Finn end up on the run.  They’ve got a twisted history, since their prior relationship took place when Trix was hooked on drugs and Finn was her supplier – giving her the drugs in exchange for sex.  They both had deeper feelings, but the addiction between them blurred everything.

So the question is never really whether Trix and Finn love each other, but it’s how can they work through their history and issues together.  This is complicated somewhat by Trix now being a member of the O’Kanes.  That means Finn will have to find his way to a place in the gang.

The relationship between Trix and Finn was a strong point for me.  I really enjoyed watching them find their way to each other with nothing between them.  The sex scenes are scorching hot, as expected in this series.

Also as expected in this series there’s a menage scene.  That was a bit of a let down for me in this book.  It seemed a bit out of place and it didn’t quite work for me.  I was also surprised at how easily Finn was accepted as an O’Kane, especially given his history of working for Mac Fleming.  Those were the only two week points in the book for me.

Besides Trix and Finn, I really enjoyed checking in with everyone else in the O’Kane gang.  So awesome seeing Dallas and Lex truly sharing power.  I’m also getting curious-er and curious-er about Doc (whose name is Dylan!).  And what’s up with him and Maddox?  I want to go back and re-read the entire series, taking notes this time.  I thought Maddox was paired up with someone.  And then there’s Lili from Sector 5.  That’s one messed up lady, so you know she’s going to end up in Sector 4, hopefully getting some control over her life.  She’s right up Lex’s alley.

So, if you’re reading the series, who is your favorite character?  I’m a huge Noah/Emma fan, but Maddox is probably the one I’m most curious about right now!

Fanning the Flames by Victoria Dahl

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

21966886
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Jackson: Girls’ Night Out #0.5
Published: 7/1/14
Reviewed by Anne
84 pages

Jake is a widower and a fire chief.  Lauren, a librarian, is divorced from a close friend of Jake’s.  The fire station and the library are in the same building.  Lauren and Jake know each other, and each is attracted to the other, but neither has been ready to move on from their first marriages.  But it’s been years, and their mutual attraction and some observant friends are pushing them to do something about it.

Go read this book.  Now.  Seriously.  This is one of the best short stories I’ve ever read.  Darn near perfect.  Lauren and Jake both have grown children.  They’re both doing fine on their own, though they’d love a little companionship.  Watching them circle each other, and then finally move on each other?  So much fun!

It’s got an awesome “caught in the act” scene.  Reading about Lauren and Jake figuring things out was really just perfect from beginning to end.

I’ll leave you with a quote:

“Is that all it takes to make you happy?  Mid-priced Scotch?”

She laughed, but as her laughter died away, her eyes snapped with heat.  “No, actually.  It takes more than that to make me happy.”

Her voice had gone low and warm, and regardless of worry or guilt, Jake was damn sure not going to miss that hint.  “Lauren,” he said, setting down his drink. “Are you drunk?”

“I’m a little buzzed.”

“How buzzed.?”

Her gaze slipped own to his chest.  “Buzzed enough to tell you that I love watching you run without a shirt on.”

“Oh.”  That blasted all thought from his brain and left him blank for a moment.

“You’re really sexy.  I shouldn’t tell you that, but I’m buzzed and I really want to tell you.”

“Lauren—“

“Because you walk around without a shirt like it’s no big deal.  Like you don’t even know.  And Jake?  It’s really, really…” She reached out her hand slowly, fingers brushing over the fabric of his shirt.  “Distracting.”  p.44

 

Falling for Max by Shannon Stacey

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

18812534
Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Small Town
Series: Kowalski Family #9
Published: 7/29/14
Reviewed by Anne
192 pages

The latest rumor about Max Crawford in the town of Whitford is that he just might be a serial killer, what with his mysterious locked up basement and all.  No one really believes it, but they know so little about him that they settle for gossip.

Tori Burns is a part time waitress at Whitford’s Trailside Diner.  When Max decides it’s time to start looking for a wife, his first step is to be more social, and going to Trailside is where he starts.  He and Tori hit it off, but Tori’s only interested in being friends.  Her parents’ bitter divorce has left her convinced that love is not worth taking a chance on for her.  Still, she’s willing to help Max, who is a little awkward socially, practice his dating skills. Now they just have to ignore the chemistry between them and find some eligible bachelorettes in Whitford.

This latest book in the Kowalski Family series was another winner for me.  I enjoyed so much about this story!  The Kowalskis appear as secondary characters, but don’t overwhelm the main plot.

Max and Tori are great characters.  They each have personal obstacles to overcome.  Max is never said to be on the autism spectrum, but that would be my guess about him.  Social situations can be challenging for him.  He’s very literal and very focused.  He’s looking for a wife, and Tori sees right away that he needs someone who will appreciate his differences and not see them as drawbacks.

Tori comes with a lot of baggage from her parents’ divorce.  She’d always thought they had a loving marriage.  So when it fell apart and they became extremely angry and bitter she was shocked.  Even more surprised when she found herself in the middle of an emotional tug of war between them.  It got bad enough that she moved to Whitford to put some physical distance between herself and her parents.  Aside from her baggage, Tori’s an interesting woman.  She designs book covers and websites, working from her apartment.  She works part time at the diner to indulge her social side.  She also enjoys being with her cousin, the young chef at Trailside.

Besides the characters and the low conflict plot (my favorite!) Shannon Stacey’s trademark humor is in abundance.  There were so many lines that had me laughing.  Here’s an example I love!  Tori and Max are practicing small talk.  She starts:

“I like to play Bingo.”
He didn’t even hesitate.  “That’s wonderful.  How many cats do you have?”

As much as I enjoyed their dialog, I also appreciated how things worked when they were not getting along, too.  They weren’t perfect.  Their reactions were realistic, and it takes growth on both their parts to come through it.  It was a joy to read!

I’d highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy small town contemporary romance, and readers who like low conflict romance.  While it’s part of the Kowalski series, it would stand alone fine, too.  That said, I’m really enjoying the series and looking forward to reading more about Gavin on his quest to become a big deal chef!