B Reviews

A Boy and A Girl by Jamie S. Rich

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

A Boy and a Girl
Grade: B-
Hotness Level: Spark
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: futuristic, graphic novel
Reviewed by Kate

186 pages

When I ran across this one, I knew I had to read it. Comic and romance? Seriously, I was geeking out a bit. I’m sure there are other romance graphic novels out there, but this was the first I’d run across.

Travis is a crashing a party with his friend when he meets Charley, who is attending the party with her friend. The party they are attending is a welcoming party for Charley’s friend’s new robot mother (meaning his mother had died, so he ordered a robot made to look and act like her, and they’re having a party). Back to Charley and Travis though. Shortly after meeting, they sneak off to the host’s bedroom to get it on, and end up getting caught. After separating, Travis finally finds Charley again on the night before she is leaving town. The two set out on a sweet journey, determined to spend every last minute together.

I enjoyed the story of Travis of Charley. I was floored by Charley’s reveal about a 1/4 of the way in (I won’t ruin the surprise for any future readers). But it was the Scooby-Doo ending (not a mask-pulling-off-reveal, but more of a that-came-out-of-left-field) that shocked me speechless. Although, honestly, I probably wouldn’t have been as shocked had I read the description more closely-but again I was geeking out at finding a romance graphic novel. I’m not a fan of non-HEA romances, and you should know that Travis and Charley do not end up together. But it works in this story.

I enjoyed this unique storytelling format a lot and I look forward to enjoying more of this kind of platform.  Have you ever read any romance graphic novels?  Are you excited to try one out?  Any recommendations?

All Fired Up by Kate Meader

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


All Fired Up (Hot in the Kitchen, #2)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Hot in the Kitchen #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Cara DeLuca is an events planner at her future brother-in-law’s restaurant. She beautiful, aloof and private. Very controlled. She ‘s OCD about her cleanliness. But inside she is fighting her own very difficult demons. Her need to control consumes her. She’s the black sheep, the misfit, the one not easily understood. She’s called Lemon Tart by her co-workers because she’s so standoffish.

Shane Doyle is an Irish pastry chef trying to take the world by storm. He also wants to connect with his half brother, who is unaware of his true identity. He also has some demons to overcome. Shane was horribly abused by his drunk father until he got big enough to hit back. His anger, guilt and shame are a constant battle for him.

These two unlikely almost strangers spontaneously marry in Las Vegas at a family get together. When the smoke clears, Shane wants to try to work at the marriage but not Cara. She wants her mistake to disappear. She has enough baggage, despite her desire for love and a family.

I ended up enjoying this book quite a bit. Kate Meader is a new author for me and I was unsure when it drug a little in the middle, if I wanted to finish. I even stopped and read another book and then came back to it. I’m glad I did. I love the premise of kitchen love stories. I love secret marriages in my romances. I felt for both characters due to what they endured in their pasts.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a racy, sexy read. There was a boatload of sexual tension and when it comes to fruition, you get rewarded with a 28 page sex scene that will rock your socks off.

Colters’ Gift by Maya Banks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy, #5)

Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Mild Kink
Series-Colters’ Legacy #5
Genre-Contemporary Menage
Reviewed by Kate
368 pages

I read the first book in the series (Colters’ Woman) for the first time a few years ago. I remember emailing my sister and telling her “yes, the apostrophe is in the right place!” You see Colters’ Woman was my introduction to menage and to this day, it remains one of my favorites. I enjoyed the second book just as much. The 3rd and 4th book, eh-not so much. The 3rd because it strayed from the menage aspect and because Max was an ass. The 4th because there wasn’t really a central couple, it was more of a family update. So I was cautiously anticipating the release of Colters’ Gift because it was going back to the menage aspect and also gave us a romance revolving around a new set of characters.
 
In Colters’ Gift we get to follow Lauren, who is recovering from an abusive relationship, on her journey with Liam and Noah. Lauren’s brother hired Liam and Noah to protect Lauren, so of course, they fall for her instead. Well, actually, they both protect and fall for her. They are, after all, manly men who don’t shirk their duties. There is a fair deal of suspense in this one as well. Suspense is not my cup of tea, so I had to stay up late to finish this one so I could sleep.
 
I appreciate the fact that Lauren’s first time with Liam and Noah wasn’t perfect. It wasn’t filled with magic sparkles and fairy dust. It ended badly, and the characters dealt with it.
 
I quickly got tired of how involved in the story the other Colters (from books 1, 2, and 3) were in this book. While I liked the characters in their own books, suddenly there were 10 extra main characters surrounding Lauren and her men. I found myself having to stop and do a roll call. Is Adam here? Yep. Ethan? Yep? Michael? Nope. He’s home with Lily. As this is the last book in the Colters’ Legacy series, I understand why they were all present and accounted for, but it was a lot to keep track of and pulled me away from Liam, Noah, and Lauren.
 
One last note. While the heat level for this book is high, I didn’t feel it had as high a heat level as the first 3 books.
 
If you have enjoyed Maya Banks’s Colters’ Legacy series, you are sure to enjoy this one as well. If you haven’t read the Colters’ Legacy series, I would suggest starting with the first book, Colters’ Woman.
 
Have you read the Colters’ Legacy series? Do you have another menage seriees to recommend?