Grade – C+
Hotness Level – Blaze
Kink Level – None
Genre – Contemporary/Paranormal
Reviewed by Kate
One of the things I love about my library is it’s romance section. Four shoulder-height racks that rotate. The part I like best is that they are only loosely alphabetized. Meaning all the “M”s are together, but not necessarily in order. It might seem like a strange thing to appreciate, but I love stumbling across a favorite author’s book I haven’t heard of before. That’s how I found this quirky Shalvis read.
Rachel inherits a Bed & Breakfast in Alaska from her aunt. She takes her good friend Kellan with her to explore the B&B. There she meets Marilee, the cook who can’t cook, and Axel, the guide who always gets lost.
Rachel and Kel get struck by lightning and wake up with x-ray vision (for Rachel) and super-human strength (for Kel). And that’s just the beginning of the strangeness. A secret pair of guests, the aunt’s fully stocked gun cabinet, and dimension jumping pirates round out the plot.
This is definitely a departure from the Lucky Harbor Shalvis I am used to. Written in first person from both Rachel and Kel’s point-of-view, Shalvis has created a separate world that you are only given the smallest glimpse of, enough to leave me with tons of unanswered questions.
no kink
Defying the Odds by Kele Moon
Grade – A
Hotness Level – Inferno
Kink Level – None
Genre – Contemporary
Series – Battered Hearts #1
Reviewed by Anne
Melody is a dirt poor waitress making a new start in a new town after escaping her abusive ex-husband. Clay is a UFC champion. He’s big, grumpy, and doesn’t have many friends in the small town he grew up in and trains in. Then Melody buys him a piece of pumpkin pie when she sees him eating alone on Thanksgiving. He’s so taken with her that he attempts to choke down the pie, even though pumpkin pie literally makes him gag. No one thinks these two belong together, but they can’t stay away from each other.
There are so many things I liked about this story! It’s going on my Best of 2013 list. Clay is a really sweet guy. A huge man who tends to be grumpy and enjoys beating up his best friend in the name of training. He sees Melody struggling financially, tired from all the shifts she’s working at the restaurant and he wants to help her. When she refuses his help, he respects that. He tries to work around her, but he gives in when she insists she wants to make her own way.
Melody is a hard working woman trying to rebuild her life away from her abusive ex-husband. She’s smart enough to check in with the sheriff when she gets in to town to let him know about the restraining order she has. She knows absolutely nothing about UFC fighting, but is happy for Clay that he’s found success at something. She’s simple and straightforward in her thinking without tons of angst, which was refreshing!
I really enjoy a book about an unfolding relationship without a lot of extra drama and conflict brought in to the story, and this one fit the bill for me. The UFC fighters’ violence, even just hanging around reminded me of Shelly Laurenston’s shifters in a good way. I think I enjoy the violence in a fantasy way after spending so much time with my kids advocating for peace and gentleness. I’d have a hard time hanging out with people who broke each others’ noses in real life, but I enjoy it in a book.
The story really worked overall for me, but there are some issues that might put others off. In particular, Melody is described as having survived years of physical and emotional abuse, but she has surprisingly few issues that bother her. In the middle of the story Melody makes a decision that borderline TSTL, but it works out ok. Melody leaves Clay for a while and he’s terribly broken up about it – it reminded me of Bella after Edward left! I was very frustrated with Bella, but I thought Clay was cute. It’s possible I have some gender bias issues.
I have to put in a mention that this story featured a positive foster care experience. That always adds bonus points for me!
And then there’s the sex. Hot. Really well written! Really.
This book was published in 2011, but somehow it never crossed my radar until now. I can’t believe how much I liked it! I’m anxious to read the next book in the series (Star Crossed) to see if I have a new favorite author!
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.
Dirty Girls' Good Books 