Anne

Mounting Danger by Karis Walsh

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, F/F
Published: 10/15/13
Reviewed by Anne
264 pages
 
I have never read a f/f romance before this one, though I’ve read one f/f/m story.  I liked the set up for this story and it turned out to be a good read.  I’ll definitely read more f/f romance!
 
Rachel, a police officer, made a decision (before the story starts) that has left her estranged from the rest of the police force.  She feels very alone.  And when she’s assigned to lead the new mounted division, she knows it’s not a compliment.  She thinks she’s being set up to fail.  She ends up asking a woman she knew in college, Callan, to help her train the other mounted police squad officers.  Callan is about as far from a lowly police officer as you can get.  She’s a polo star from a family with a lot of money.  She doesn’t really have time to help Rachel, but she’s interested enough in Rachel to make the time.
 
Into this reunion, the author mixes a mystery and some suspense.  It appears that someone really doesn’t want Rachel to succeed.  But who is it?  And why?  I enjoyed the mystery and thought it was well written.

All I Want is You by Elizabeth Anthony

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Grade: C
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical, Erotica
Published: 10/22/13
Reviewed by Anne
336 pages
 
  This was under the “erotica” category at NetGalley, and it sounded interesting. Sophie is a maid at a big country house – it has a Downton Abbey vibe to it!  The visiting Lady Beatrice has a plan that includes Sophie seducing Lord Ashley, who Sophie has a mad crush on.  It sounded like such a great set up, and for about the first half I enjoyed it.  However, it is very Danielle Steele like, which doesn’t work for me, but it may work for her fans. It’s got a lot of angst. 

The story is focused on the heroine, Sophie and her personal journey, not the relationship between her and Ash.  I would not consider this story a romance, as I think a happily ever after ending is necessary in a romance.

At first I was pretty proud of Sophie and the decisions she was making to be true to herself, but it quickly turned I to a situation where she was cutting off her nose to spite her face! She ran from safety time and time again. Sophie she goes through a lot of tough times, yet continues to push away any help Ash would offer.  Some of her decisions had really awful consequences, but put in the same situation again, she made the same choice.  And in the end, the story just made me angry.

I do think the writing was solid and the editing was good. It just didn’t like the ending or the angst.

M/M Monday – After the Fall by L.A. Witt

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, m/m
Series: Tucker Springs #6

Published: 10/7/13
Reviewed by Anne
206 pages

My love affair with Tucker Springs continues!  Nathan (who we met in the very first book, Where Nerves End) saved up to buy a horse he’d always wanted. Then, on the very first day he got to go out riding, the horse is startled by a motorcycle in the wrong place and throws Nathan off. Nathan breaks his leg and then his hand.  When Ryan, the motorcyclist wants to apologize and help Nathan through his recovery, Nathan hesitantly accepts that help.  They decide Nathan will teach Ryan to ride his horse to keep her in practice while Nathan heals up.
 
This bad luck beginning turns into a sweet love story!  Nathan is like an open book.  Ryan is much more guarded with his past and he has his own baggage, but he’s very understanding about Nathan’s issues.  The flirting between these two had me smiling throughout the book.  The angsty parts were realistic, too.
 
The main source of conflict in the story is Ryan’s lifestyle.  He’s happily nomadic, moving from place to place.  He has no problem committing to stay until Nathan is on his feet again, but he’s open about his plans to move on after that.  At first Nathan is fine with this set up, but as his feelings get more involved he feels like he needs to stop this relationship from developing, since Ryan’s wanderlust has doomed it from the start to being nothing more than casual.
 
Besides their flirting, my favorite part of the book is how Nathan and Ryan treat each other as their physical relationship is developing.  They communicate very well, and that leaves them open to taking care of each other and understanding each other’s issues.  And it’s really well written sex, too!
 
I can’t recommend this series enough!  I think every entry has been solid for me, and I enjoyed this one very much, too!