contemporary

The Care and Feeding of an Alpha Male by Jessica Clare

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Grade-A
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink-Level-Mild
Series-Bluebonnet #2
Reviewed by Kay

Let me start off by saying that this series is a whole lotta fun! I LOVE this series! It’s funny and blisteringly hot. I loved the first book in the series and this one lived up to the original. I love the characters and so hope she makes this a long series.

Beth Ann Williamson is Bluebonnet’s hometown sweetheart. Her family is well-to-do, her on again off again fiance is well-to-do and well thought of in the community. They have been together since high school. She recently opened her own salon and is trying to make a go of her life on her own terms. Her most recent and, according to her, final break from Allan Sundquist is difficult for the town to accept. She is constantly bombarded by townspeople who urge her to reconsider her break-up. She is also weighed down by familial obligations which leads her to a situation that involves someone from her past she’s not crazy about.

Cole Waggoner helps run a survivalists camp in the town of Bluebonnet. He grew up there but was referred to as a white-trash Waggoner. He can’t really get along with Beth Ann but is attracted to her, much to his own dismay. He is called into a situation with Beth Ann that he capitalizes on.

What ensues is a great ride on an emotional roller coaster. Touching, amusing and fiery. Everything I love is in this novel.  I slam dunked it in a day because I couldn’t put in down. So pick it up, I dare ya!

With This Ring, I Thee Wed edited by Alison Tyler

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


25 stories of ~10 pages each
Anthology of Contemporary Romance
Grade-B+
Hotness Level- Inferno
Kink Level-Low
Reviewed by Anne

I really enjoy short stories. This was a large collection of ~10 page stories centering on a wedding theme. As usualy with anthologies, it was a bit hit and miss. In the end, though I went with a grade of 4, because there were some real standouts for me.

My favorites include:
Racing to the Altar by Sommer Marsden
A Lucky Wedding by Thomas S. Roche
Forsaking All Others by Janine Ashbless-
Strippers and Cigars by N.T. Morley
Something Blue by Shanna Germain-
Anniversary Waltz by Portia Da Costa
Love, H…moreI really enjoy short erotica. I love that you can read a whole story in a short setting and explore things you might not be willing to spend a whole novel’s worth of time or price to see if you like.

My favorites include:
Racing to the Altar by Sommer Marsden – This story features a bride speeding on her way to her wedding, pulled over by a policeman who is NOT sympathetic to her cause.  This was one HOT story!

A Lucky Wedding by Thomas S. Roche – A nice interlude alone in the bridal suite before the wedding.  Again, it’s hotness of it that gets me.
Forsaking All Others by Janine Ashbless– This was a really interesting story about a couple who often had sex with another couple who were good friends of theirs while they were dating.  It follows their decision of what they would do after they marry.  I thought it was well written!
Strippers and Cigars by N.T. Morley – He told his friends he didn’t want a stripper for his bachelor party, but she gave them different instructions.  The exhibitionism of this one is nicely written.
Something Blue by Shanna Germain– What if your something blue was bruises and you liked it that way?  Yes.
Anniversary Waltz by Portia Da Costa – This is an anniversary story.  She’s spent too much money this month, and the anticipation of what he’ll do when he finds out – on their anniversary, no less – makes for a great story.  I didn’t realize it was Portia Da Costa until I was writing up this review.  She’s becoming a favorite of mine!
Love, Honor, and Obey by Rita Winchester – This is a bachelorette party.  The bride is getting a little nervous, but then she gets a call from her groom telling her “Just Say Yes”.  Another well done exhibitionism story.
Taking Vows by Kristina Wright – This couple is getting ready to renew their vows, a ceremony their adult children have organized without realizing that their parents are ready to file divorce papers.  There are reasons they don’t want to tell their kids just yet, and they are believable.  This story is about the two of them the night before the ceremony.  I loved it.  As I get older I have a great appreciation for stories about couples who are already married and continuing to work through the different issues that come up and continuing to love each other.

Mother of the Bride by Cheyenne Blue – This story really stood out for me because of its tone.  It’s about the mother and father of the bride right before the wedding.  Their mood is very bittersweet.  I thought it was a rare example of sex during a sad, tender moment.  As with the previous story, an older already married couple is the focus.  I loved that it was sexual and hot along with being about mature people at a day that was a little sad for them.

One final mention is for the story Something Old, Something New by Sophia Valenti.  It features a young newlywed couple on a cruise ship where they meet a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.  The younger couple happens to spot the older couple having sex on a desserted ship deck one night.  That particular scene was wonderfully hot, though the story itself was just a 3 for me.

The ones I really didn’t care for were about cheaters and cheating, which I really didn’t enjoy.

 
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One Night Rodeo by Lorelei James

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Grade-B
Hotness Level- Inferno
Kink Level-Low
Reviewed by Kay

This is Book Four in James’ Blacktop Cowboys series. It would probably be best to read the series in order so you would know the other characters’ stories as well.

Celia Lawson is a barrel racer and Kyle Gilchrist is a bull rider in the rodeo circuit. They’ve known each other since they were children. Celia has been half in love with Kyle almost that long but never really admitted it, even to herself. Kyle, who has earned quite a reputation with the buckle bunnies, has had his eye on Celia for a couple years. He was warned by Celia’s brothers, his best friends by the way, to never try to date Celia. These two have constantly argued and bickered over the years, so it is a huge shock to them to wake up in Vegas one morning, married. Sadly enough, the alcohol- fueled evening before is not remembered very well.

Kyle is called home for a family emergency and Celia goes with him. They forge an alliance for six months. At the end of six months they will go their separate ways and end the marriage farce. Not to spoil the book, let me say the chemistry between these two is on fire. The love scenes are plenty and steamy. This is a Lorelei James’ constant and one of the reasons she is an auto-read for me.

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