Kate

Everything Bared by Kristine Cayne

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Everything Bared (Six-Alarm Sexy #2)
Grade-C+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Series-Six-Alarm Sexy #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
268 pages

Dani Harris, a firefighter and search and rescue team member, has been part of the Caldwell family since the earthquake.  When she needs a place to stay, she ends up staying with straight-laced William Caldwell, CFO of the family business.  Dani knows she’s William’s opposite in almost every way, but she can’t help but be attracted to him.  Can she trust him with her exhibitionism secret?

Kristine Cayne exceeds at writing strong characters. Dani is a feisty spitfire and William had layers to him that were slowly exposed. I loved both characters and enjoyed watching their story unfold. Many of Dani’s initial conversations with William kept me in stitches.

There was a pony play scene in the book that left me a bit squicked out. I’m not a big suspense reader and there was a small component of suspense in this one that I didn’t enjoy. But it’s not a huge part of the story and not something so suspenseful that it kept me up at night.

The biggest downside for me was that I enjoyed the first book in this series so much that I probably went in with my expectations a bit high. And while this book is a very solid entry in the series, I still liked the first book better. I will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series because I’ve falllen in love with the way Kristine Cayne writes her characters.

M/M Monday-Apple Polisher by Heidi Belleau

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

       
Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Rear Entrance Video #1
Genre-Contemporary M/M
Reviewed by Kate
194 pages

Christian has been accepted into a teaching school that has strict requirements for their students’ dress and behavior, both in school and out. Christian is walking on egg shells because he’s pretty sure if anyone finds out he’s gay, he’ll get kicked out of the program. Max is one of Christian’s new housemates. Despite the fact that Max didn’t want Christian as a housemate, Christian finds himself drawn to Max. But Max is a mystery. No one knows what he does for a living or even what his last name is. When Christian’s aunt gets too sick to work at the porn store she owns, Christian finds himself offering to help out. But working at a porn store could definitely get him kicked out of the teaching program if anyone found out. Can Christian manage to keep so many secrets without losing Max in the process?

It always amazes me when an author can hold my attention when their characters are being such idiots. Christian has his head so far up his ass that he doesn’t see that he’s losing himself in order to become a picture perfect teacher. Luckily, Max is there and not afraid to tell Christian what’s what.. But even through all of Christian’s obliviousness, I kept turning the pages. Even when Christian pushes Max away because he doesn’t fit the perfect teacher mold, I kept turning pages. I’m not a huge fan of “I’ve got a secret or ten” plots. I prefer that the characters actually talk to one another. But despite all the secrets, this one worked for me. I got the need for the secrets in this case. Thankfully, the ending pulled everything to a happy conclusion, all wrapped up with a bow.

I look forward to reading more of Heidi Belleau’s strong characters, emotional plots, and page scorching love scenes in the next book in this series. Now if I only had more time to catch up on her backlist.

Freedom to Submit by Melody Snow Monroe

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

       
Grade-C-
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-Moderate Kink
Series-Freedom, Colorado #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
164 pages

Danisa “Dani” witnesses a murder and needs some protection from the killer who has already made an attempt on her life. Enter Sheriff Brady (who went to the same high school as Dani, but the two have been out of touch for years) and his friend and housemate, Lucas. Because who better to protect you than the horny sheriff and his even hornier friend? Not to be out hornied, um…horned? Dani, on the night that she almost dies, remembers to pack her sexy underwear when she’s packing to go stay with Brady (who she just re-met earlier that day) and Lucas (who she’s never met).

Unfortunately, neither hero worked for me. Brady, a jock that has never grown up, has to be one of the worst law enforcement heroes I’ve read about. He goes on a dangerous stakeout by himself and moves things around at the crime scene before it’s been processed. Now I’m not saying I’m an expert, but I’ve seen a few CSI episodes-enough to know that both of those are big no-nos.

Lucas was another creature altogether. I found him to be cold and only concerned with satisfying his libido. His speech was almost robotic at times. But the thing that got me most was that he called his dick “him”. Now, I’m generally okay with guys having a cute nickname for their most important possession, but for some reason calling it “him” was just too much.

I struggled with the heroine, Dani. I just couldn’t connect with her character at all. Her connection to Brady and Lucas was instantaneous and unquestioned. There never seemed to be a time that she asked herself if she was moving too fast.

I really wanted to like this book. I’ve enjoyed other books that I’ve read by Melody Snow Monroe before. However, I just couldn’t get past the characters to get into the plot.

Obviously, calling it “him” didn’t work for me. What nicknames for a guy’s member is your favorite? How about your least favorite?