C Reviews

A Most Scandalous Proposal by Ashlyn Macnamara

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

A Most Scandalous Proposal
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Genre-Historical Regency Romance
Reviewed by Kay

Julia St. Claire is twenty-two and has turned down many a suitor. She doesn’t want to love someone and always discourages the matches when the men seem to be besotted with her. She prefers a loveless marriage.

Benedict Revelstoke is the second son of an earl. He has been Julia’s lifelong friend and has loved her from afar.

Sophia St. Claire has pined for a man who has never showed her interest for five years. In her struggles to get this man’s notice, she has also turned down many marriage offers.

Rufus Highgate is an earl with a wicked scar and a scandalous past. It was said that he was responsible for his late wife’s accident. He hates the Ton and does his best to avoid it.

Julia and Sophia’s parents want to see their daughters settled. They will do whatever they have to, no matter what, to ensure this. Even to the point of not taking their daughters wishes into account. Julia is basically sold to a man to cover her father’s debts. What makes this worse, is that the man she’s sold to is the man Sophia wants.

Julia gets the man she never knew she wanted.

Benedict gets everything he has ever wanted.

Sophia gets a man she never expected.

Rufus gets a woman he never thought he deserved a chance with.

This novel was entertaining. I don’t think I’ve ever read a novel with two heroes and two heroines. It was a nice change from the norm. All characters got what they deserved and it just happened to be what they wanted too. It didn’t get hot though until about 70% into the book and I didn’t like that at all.

At His Majesty’s Convenience by Jennifer Lewis

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

At His Majesty's Convenience
Grade – C
Hotness Level – Blaze
Kink Level – No Kink
Genre – Contemporary (but in a fictional land)
Reviewed by Kate

Once upon a time (3 years ago), in the land of Ruthenia far, far away (okay, it’s on Austria’s border)…

After the communist regime fell, Jake, young and handsome, returned to his family’s throne ending decades of exile in America. King Jake brought his loyal and uber professional assistant Andi with him. Upon regaining the throne, Jake promised his countrymen he would choose a bride by Ruthenia’s third Independence Day celebration (mere weeks away). Being pursued by the daughters of the country’s elite, Jake is trying to decide which of the conniving dears he finds least repugnant. Andi, who has loved Jake since she became his assistant six years ago, cannot bear the thought of watching him court and marry someone else. She hands in her resignation to Jake (who is stunned) and plans to leave right away.

Late that night, Jake finds Andi, who after a conk on the head cannot remember anything. Seeing a solution to his problems (losing his faithful assistant and having to pick a bride), Jake tells Andi that they had gotten engaged earlier that evening. Andi feels something isn’t quite right, but believes Jake since he seems familiar and comfortable.

When Andi regains her memory, she confronts Jake. He convinces her to play along until after the Independence Day celebration and then make her decision. Andi chooses to leave, thinking Jake doesn’t return her love. Meanwhile, Jake realizes that what started out as a desire to keep his assistant has turned into true love. He predictably chases after her…And they live happily ever after.

I almost quit reading this one at page 80. I was flabbergasted that Jake would even consider taking advantage of Andi by lying to her and yes, seducing her. I guess I have come to expect more from my heroes. However, I soldiered on. By the end, the author managed to turn Jake around. I finally found some sympathy for the jerk and managed to cheer when he and Andi finally reunited…but it was a close call.

Take Me by Bella Andre

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Take Me (Take Me #1)

Grade – C-
Hotness Level – Inferno
Kink Level – No Kink
Genre – Contemporary
Series – Take Me #1
Reviewed by Kate

Take Me by Bella Andre

Size 16 (I only mention this because it is a big deal in the book) Lily is the world’s biggest wallflower. Mousy and shy, she does her best to hide her ample bosom and curvy hips with plain and dowdy clothes. Her younger sister Janica is a fashion designer and ends up one plus sized model short right before a big fashion show, so Janica talks Lily into modeling for a show.

Lily’s best friend since childhood, Luke, says he’ll be at the show for moral support but is called into work at the last minute. He asks his identical twin Travis to go in his place. Travis used to chum around with Luke and Lily, but has been ignoring Lily since she was ten.

Lily dons The Dress… that’s right, capital letters. Like Frodo’s ring, The Dress appears to hold some magical powers. When Lily puts it on, she immediately transforms into a vibrant, strong, self confident, and sexy woman. Capable of strutting down the runway with a sexy swagger. Capable of seducing Travis… who she has lusted after all these years.

So here’s the thing. Travis has been a jerk to Lily most of her life. A real love ’em and leave ’em type. He’s treated her like a leper for years, paraded his series of stick thin model girlfriends in front of her, etc. But when he sees her walking down the runway wearing The Dress, he’s gobsmacked. He can’t believe stick in the mud Lily is really a curvy, sexy siren.

The next morning when Luke finds out Lily and Travis slept together, he’s worried for Lily. He knows Travis’s past and figures Lily’s going to get her heart broken. So he hatches a plan to make Travis want Lily. He tells Lily to play hard to get. Then when he meets up with Travis, he mentions that Lily wasn’t that impressed with her mediocre hook up after the fashion show.

The rest of the book consists of game playing. Lily does her best to make Travis chase her. Teasing him, then backing off at the last minute… you get the picture. Travis, meanwhile, is busy trying to prove his manhood by sleeping with her as often as he can… trying to get her out of his system and all.

Travis was written as such a womanizer and so full of himself it was impossible to like him. Lily was so introverted and spineless (unless under the influence of The Dress) it seemed amazing that she could function in life. I had trouble believing that either character was capable of making the changes they did in such a short time. I hated that they were both playing games and continued to play them for so long. While not the worst book I’ve read this year, it was far from the best.