B Reviews

Technically Dating by Jena Wade

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
22361960
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: m/m, Contemporary, Nerd-mance, novella
Published: 6/25/14
Reviewed by Anne
59 pages
 
Bruce is a pretty shy geek running a training for the company he works for at an out of town hotel.  Westley is the good looking concierge at that hotel and is assigned to assist Bruce for the training.  When they meet at the hotel they realize that they nearly hooked up the night before at a club.  Westley is surprised at how different Bruce is out of the club, but still interested in him.  Bruce is surprised that someone as good looking as Westley would be interested in plain old him, but he’s sure not going to turn down the attention!
 
This was such a cute story!  Bruce was such a nerd with his Wolverine ties and buying Legos for his nephew AND himself.  He’s pretty insecure in general, but especially about having a relationship.  Westley isn’t a terribly deeply developed character, but that’s something I can accept in a short story.  Watching the two of them get to know each other and fall for each other was fun!
 
My only issue with the novella is that it opens with a scene where Bruce comes across as very confident in the club.  We never see that side of Bruce for the rest of the story, so I guess it’s just a persona he uses when he goes out to pick up guys?  I’m not really sure, so that was a little confusing.  Once I settled into the story and got a better feel for who Bruce was, though,  things really worked for me.
 
I highly recommend this book for readers who like m/m and nerds.  It’s a great read!  I look forward to reading more by Jena Wade!

Bonds of Courage by Lynda Aicher

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
20738801
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: High Kink
Genre: Contemporary, BDSM
Series: Wicked Play #6
Published: 6/16/14
Reviewed by Kate
Vanessa, a rep for athletes and co-owner of the Den, has successfully compartmentalized her life.  A different colored phone for family, work, and the Den.  And things and people from one part never cross into another.  Never ever.  Until Holden walks into the Den one evening.  Holden is a pro-hockey player who longs to submit, but his career would be ruined if anyone ever found out.  He applies for membership at the very exclusive and very private The Den.  When Vanessa walks in to conduct the interview, Holden knows that she’s the one.
I went into this one not really expecting to enjoy it.  A Domme is not my favorite type of heroine to read.  But I had read and enjoyed each of the Wicked Play books so I thought I’d give it a try.  And I’m so glad that I did.  The vulnerability that Vanessa was able to show Holden almost brought me to tears and the strength that Holden was able to provide Vanessa.  Yet they still maintained their Domme/sub identities.  *insert happy, contented sighs here*  This was so much more than a Domme/sub relationship.  It was beautiful, emotional, and caring, with a side of delicious kink.  Everything that I’ve come to expect from Lynda Aicher.

I’d highly recommend Lynda Aicher’s Wicked Play series to any fans of Cherise Sinclair or Kallypso Masters.

Educating Caroline by Patricia Cabot

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

640121
Grade: B

Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: HistorcalPublished: 10/30/01
Reviewed by Kate
439 pages

This one read like a soap opera-in the best way possible.  I feel like a who’s who might be the best way to start.

Cast of Characters:
Braden Granville-our hero, aka the Lothario of London
Lady Caroline Linford-our heroine, prim, proper, and, of course, virginal
Lady Jacquelyn Seldon-Braden’s fiance
Marquis of Winchilsea-Caroline’s fiance

Do you have it all straight now?  All right.  Here we go!

We start off with Lady Caroline walking in on the Marquis of Winchilsea (her finance, remember) in the arms (well technically, in the legs) of Lady Jacquelyn (Braden’s fiance).  She’s ready to call off the engagement, but her mother tells her there’s no way she can end it without causing a reputation ending scandal.  Instead, she should use her womanly wiles to make her fiance fall for her.  Which wouldn’t be a bad idea, except Caroline’s not really sure if she has any wiles. 

Braden knows that Lady Jacquelyn has not been faithful to him.  But he can’t call of their engagement without losing a lot of money.  Unless he can prove it, with a name or a witness.  Caroline decides Braden is the perfect person to teach her how to make the Marquis fall in love with her-all hands off of course. In exchange for teaching her, she’ll be his witness against Lady Jacquelyn.

And from that point forward we have the story of Braden and Caroline coming to love one another.  My reading experience was filled with happy smiles, chuckles, gasps of shock and outrage, outright laughs, and contented sighs.  With just enough intrique thrown in, this one kept me turning pages from start to finish.

Thanks to Anne for the recommendation.