Grade – B-
Hotness Level – inferno
Kink Level – moderate (spanking, D/s)
Genre – Contemporary, novella
Reviewed by Kate
Mona Whitman is habitually late for work. Maybe if she wasn’t daydreaming about her boss, Mr. Marks, she might have a chance at being on time.
When Mr. Marks calls Mona into his office to discuss her tardiness, he asks if she has any suggestions for punishment. She accidentally blurts out that he should spank her, revealing one of her secret fantasies. While surprised, Mr. Marks has been having the same dream for a long time and the opportunity is too good to pass up.
Personally, I could have done with fewer self-pleasuring scenes, but I actually enjoyed this one, despite it being a short story.
Kate
Found: One Runaway Bride by Stella Bagwell
Grade – C
Hotness Level – Blaze
Kink Level – None
Genre – Contemporary
Reviewed by Kate
Ahhhh—an amnesiatic (if that’s not a word, I’m making it one) bride. Cordell finds a car in a cornfield. Inside he finds Abby wearing a wedding dress and unable to remember anything other than her first name. The car has no registration or plates and Abby has no identification.
After a night in the hospital, Abby has a choice to make. She can either ride an hour with the sleazy sheriff to a battered women’s shelter where she can stay for a while. Or, she can take Cordell up on his offer to recover at his farmhouse with him and his two children.
Cordell’s wife died 2 years ago. She was a high-maintenance woman who was never happy on the farm. She also had more than one affair during their marriage. Cordell is determined to never marry or fall in love again (is there a hero out there who is looking for love?), but he does enjoy the cooking and cleaning Abby is doing while she stays in his house.
While Abby would like to explore her attraction to Cordell, he resists at every turn. After all, she already ran from one man at her wedding. What’s to keep her from leaving him? Cordell is positive once her memory returns she will want no part of farm life.
I’m not exactly sure what I was hoping for at the end of the book, but the resolution left me feeling flat. The beginning held such promise but it didn’t deliver.
You’ve Got Male by Elizabeth Bevarly
Grade – C-
Hotness Level – Blaze
Kink Level – None
Genre – Contemporary
Series – OPUS #1
Reviewed by Kate
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Avery is an agoraphobic computer whiz. She lives alone with her cat and does her best to never leave. She has, however, met Andrew on line. He is the perfect man. Or so Avery thinks.
In truth, Andrew is Adrian (aka the Sorcerer), an OPUS agent gone rogue. And he’s only after Avery’s mind (there’s something you don’t hear too often in a romance). When Avery was barely an adult, she accidentally released a computer virus that caused tons of issues (revenge plot against a bad boyfriend gone wrong). She ended up in prison for 2 years.
While Avery is unaware of Andrew’s true identity, Dixon knows exactly who the Sorcerer is and what he’s capable of. An OPUS agent himself, Dixon has been trying to figure out who Avery is and what the Sorcerer wants with her.
OPUS uses Avery to draw the Sorcerer out. Dixon remains as her side, and obviously the two grow closer. Avery is sure she’s too messed up for anyone to love. Dixon can’t figure out why he’s so attracted to her.
I have to admit this is the first time I’ve run across a heroine who dresses in pajama pants and raggy sweatshirts through most of the book. While refreshing, it took a pat-down search for weapons for Dixon to become attracted to her. The single sex scene weirded me out a little. It started with an online conversation between the Sorcerer and Avery, but ended up with Dixon and Avery going at it. Throw in a relationship between Dixon’s partner and Avery’s sister and it was just too much.
Honestly, I struggled through the first quarter of the book. By page 100 it started to get a bit better (page 100 is the point I give myself permission to quit reading a bad book). By halfway through there was just too much extra stuff going on. I’m not saying it was terrible. I just wasn’t for me. I almost wish I had quit at page 100.
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