Kate

Turn and Burn by Lorelei James

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Turn and Burn (Blacktop Cowboys, #5)
Grade: D+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary

Series: Blacktop Cowboys #5
Published: 8/6/13
Reviewed by Kate
368 pages 


Tanna was hurt in a barrel racing accident and hasn’t been able to get on a horse again. Unfortunately, that kind of leaves her floundering as barrel racing was her life. She agrees to help some friends out with their resort over the summer. Fletch is an overworked veterinarian. But when he hooks up with Tanna, who he calls ‘Sugar Twang’ (she shall forever be ‘Sugar Twang’ in my head), he feels the longing for something more. But he’s definitely tied to the area while Sugar Twang is only there temporarily. How can the two of them possibly work?

Okay, that’s all that general stuff you can get by reading the book description (well, except for the Sugar Twang bit, I threw that in for a bonus). Now, onto what you really want to know.

I think that we all know that Lorelei James succeeds at writing series that keep us coming back for more and more and more. Turn and Burn is filled with all the things that should keep you coming back for more. It is a solid entry into the series, but it didn’t blow my socks off. There was nothing extremely memorable about either Fletch or Sugar Twang. And unfortunately, a day later, I’m already forgetting them a bit. Fans of Lorelei James, and especially her Blacktop Cowboys series, will enjoy this one, but I don’t think this is the best example of her writing.

The other thing I think I need to address in this one is Fletch’s nickname for Tanna. Sugar Twang. Now I’m generally fine with nicknames. But for some reason this one grated wrong. And it was on every page. I didn’t enjoy the book as much because every time I read it, it pulled me out of the story a bit. Sugar Twang? *shuddering*

So, obviously Sugar Twang is not my favorite nickname.  How about you?  Are you pro-nickname or anti-nickname?  What are the ones you’ve loved or hated?

Louder Than Love by Jessica Topper

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Louder Than Love
Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, rock star
Published: 9/17/13

Reviewed by Kate
 

Katrina “Tree” is a librarian who has been floating in a haze since her husband died.  She and her 4 year old daughter have moved back to her home town and have surrounded themselves with friends.  When looking for a musician for the library’s childrens’ program, she runs across Adrian Graves.  Adrian used to be famous and is now living a shadow of a life.  Tree and Adrian set out on a journey of self discovery and healing, falling in love along the way.

 

Tree and Adrian have so much hurt in their past that at times their struggles to return to life are hard to witness.  But their support for each other is sweet and charming.  I quickly fell for each of them.

 

I can admit to not being a huge fan of the rockers that are flooding the pool of romance heroes lately, but the way that the author wrote Adrian really worked for me.  I was pulled into the mystery that is Adrian so completely that I was almost halfway through the story before I realized that it was being told completely from Tree’s point of view.

 

My only complaint is that there is a small secondary story running through the middle of the book involving an ex-boyfriend of Tree’s.  It added a small element of suspense, but ended without a true sense of closure.  It just seemed really out of place in the story.

 

In this debut novel, Jessica Hopper has shown her strength in creating strong characters in an emotional story.  I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

 

I’m curious though.  Have you fallen on the rocker hero bandwagon?  Which is your favorite rocker hero?

Menage Monday – Bodyguards of Pleasure by Melody Snow Monroe

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Bodyguards of Pleasure (Pleasure, Montana #8)
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: High Kink
Genre: Contemporary, menage
Series: Pleasure, Montana #8
Published:7/1/13

Reviewed by Kate
183 pages


When computer store owner Brooke witnesses a murder, she barely escapes with her life.  And the killer is still after her.  The sheriff pairs her up with Gavin and Riley.  Gavin and Riley are part of a detective agency and will act as Brooke’s bodyguards.  Gavin, Riley, and Brooke go to Brooke’s house and discover that someone has already broken in.  The only option is to take Brooke home with them.  Brooke has spent her life concentrating on her academics and her business but after her close brush with death, she decides it’s time to start living life.  And the fact that she’s alone with her two bodyguards and there’s bondage equipment and toys in the basement…

 

So here’s the thing.  I really, really liked this book.  Probably more than I should.  Like I know that a soap opera is probably not the greatest acting on earth, but I still just love it.  The slightly overweight heroine.  The masculine and assertive heroes.  The killer on the loose.  And all that follows.  I loved it all.

 

Gavin and Riley were hot by themselves, and hotter together.  And Brooke.  For once a heroine that is smart and actually acts like she’s smart.  She reacts to things logically instead of emotionally-which appears to be a big help when you’re on the run from a killer.  And I loved that she stayed true to her character.  It wasn’t “I’m really smart and logical” one minute “and now I’m screaming like a girl” the next. 

 

This is the first book that I read in the Pleasure, Montana book (and I had no problem following along), and now I want to go back and read the rest of them.  I think I’m a closet addict of Siren Publishing.  Especially their Menage Everlasting line.  I smile my way through each of them that I read.

 

How about you?  Do you have a book or series that you just love, but know that you probably shouldn’t?  Time to come clean and confess.