inferno

Against The Wall by Rebecca Zanetti

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Against the Wall (Maverick Montana, #1)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-Maverick Montana #1
Reviewed by Kay

I freely admit it, I read this book for the cover! I know, I know, I deserve to get what I get, but look at the cover! It called to me and I answered. Honestly, what I got wasn’t so bad.

Sophie Smith is a landscape architect that specializes in golf course design. I can’t help but think that’s kind of cool. Her company wants to build a housing addition with a golf course in Maverick, Montana near Mineral Lake. The town has a pretty good size Native American population that doesn’t want it done because the land doesn’t want it. I’m not gonna argue the rationale of that statement, I just thought since that is what the book said, I told you. She is sent in to try and change the minds of not only the tribe but the town council and a “concerned citizens” group.

Jack Lodge is a tribe member and their lawyer. He also helps his family on their land as almost a foreman on a ranch would. He has to go toe to toe with Sophie and her development company to keep this from happening. He has two brothers and a sister that have good sized parts in this novel also.

I liked these two characters a lot and the secondary characters also. The plot was okay for me too. The love scenes were on fire, which also helps in my opinion.. What I didn’t care for was the speed in which the town accepted her as their own. I couldn’t buy in to it. Jake and his family latched on to her so quick, it was a little unsettling. Using a nickname for her the first time he met her? No! I would consider this a low conflict love story and I like a conflict in my love stories. This was my first novel by Rebecca Zanetti and I liked it but it didn’t blow my socks off.

Fever by Maya Banks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Fever (Breathless, #2)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-High
Series-Breathless #2
Reviewed by Kay

This installment of Maya Banks’ Breathless trilogy is my favorite so far. I really enjoyed it. Great heroine, pretty good hero. Good supporting cast also. I’ll let you know what I liked and disliked in just a moment. Let me summarize first.

Jace Crestwell  sees Bethany Willis across the room at his sister’s engagement party and something happens. The world shifts on it’s axis and he is almost overcome with a sense of possessiveness. He’s never had that kind of reaction to a woman before. And he’s had plenty of women. Plenty. He knows he wants her but he usually has his best friend, Ash along for the ride(pun intended). Bethany is different. She’s special and he can’t understand how she can be since he has just seen her. Ash sees his interest and against Jace’s wishes approaches her and propositions her.

Bethany is taken aback at first but due to the attraction she feels for both of them but Jace especially, she agrees. She does negotiate dinner in the deal though. The reason I bring that up is that Bethany is homeless and works odd jobs when she can find them. She’s part of the wait staff at this engagement party. She feels a little at odds with her decision to go home with them but takes the chance. They spend the night together and she ditches them in the morning.

This encounter has changed everything for Jace, Bethany and Ash. Jace has met the woman for him, Bethany has possibly met someone who will have her back and Ash realizes that his best friend’s priorities have changed. There is a lot of emotions in this book. Relationship evaluation too. What place you play in different people’s lives.

What I did like: Jace’s immediate realization that Bethany was his. His acceptance of this and of her and her past. Bethany as a character. I love the tortured heroine trope. Life was never kind to her but she always came out swinging. Ash’s acceptance of how things should be.

What I didn’t like: Jace’s extreme BDSM stuff but that’s more of a personal preference. His numerous doubts of trust with the people he was supposed to love. Jack pretty much was annoying and useless.

You got a small glimmer of life on the streets and a bad example of the foster care system. I know that not all examples of the foster care system are bad and that needs to be pointed out. This was a solid addition to the series and I eagerly wait Ash’s book. I want it NOW!

Rush by Maya Banks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Rush (Breathless, #1)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-High Kink
Series-Breathless #1
Reviewed by Kay

Gabe Hamilton is a very wealthy business man who even conducts his love life like a business. With signed contracts and everything. He has lusted after his best friend’s sister for a loooong time. She has always been forbidden fruit for a variety of different reasons, his best friend would kill him, she’s 14 years his junior and his preferences in the bedroom.

Mia Crestwell is not as innocent as Gabe thinks she is. She was raised by her brother after their parents’ deaths, so they have a very close relationship. She has wanted Gabe for as long as she can remember and she finally got her chance and ran with it.

Gabe asks Mia for a relationship that she has to sign a contract for. I understood why he thought that was necessary but ewww! How utterly unromantic. He may have fought his feelings for her but as the  reader, we can see he loves her. So to treat her the way he does in this book was ridiculous. I never warmed to him as the hero or them as a couple. She was a bit too timid for me and he was an ass. Totally without a chance for redemption for me. When he tries to let other men touch her…OMG!
Ass! I love Maya Banks books, all contemporaries and historicals. I liked parts of the book and will continue the series even though I have issues with this one.