novella

The Beginning of Us by Sarah Brooks

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne
The Beginning of Us
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Spark
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary/ f/f
Reviewed by Kate
115 pages
When I ran across this book, I got excited for three reasons. A-it’s f/f, a genre I wanted to read more of, B-it’s teacher/student, and C-it seemed that part of it would be written in letter format. I absolutely love a story written in the form of letters or journal entries or anything similar. I am so glad I picked this one up.
Tara is a senior in college who falls and falls hard for her professor, Eliza. When Eliza leaves without a word to Tara, Tara takes to her laptop and pours her heart and story out into a letter to Eliza. The entire story is written in a letter format. Tara’s words were so raw and gritty, stark and honest. The story hooked it’s claws into me and would not let go! I could not stop reading this one.
At first, the angst that Tara is feeling over being abandoned by Eliza reminded me of Bella Swan in New Moon and I worried that we’d soon find Tara curled in on herself and staring at a wall. Instead, Tara uses her words to cope with her loss. The story quickly started to remind me of The Girl in the Box by Ouida Sebestyen, a book I read as a teen that still sticks with me today (girl is kidnapped and left alone with only a typewriter-I would recommend reading if you haven’t already). There is a sense of Tara discovering herself through her own words. Almost a coming-of-age feel. This book, like The Girl in the Box, will stay with me for a long, long time. Sarah Brooks have given us such a different, unique voice with story, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
The Girl in the Box is one of those rare books that has stuck with me for the last 20+ years. Do you have any books that just won’t let you go?

Hot Zone by Anne Marsh

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Hot Zone (The Hotshots, #2)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-The Hotshots #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
102 pages

Dade is a Hotshot and helps out the Smoke Jumpers at a fire camp. This camp is very bust during fire season and this requires cooking and other staff to be available. Sarah Jo is a cook at the fire camp. One day while working, the other cooks dare her to kiss the first fire guy that comes up in line. Sarah Jo wants to fit in, so she does it.

Dade and Sarah Jo both know that the kiss they shared wasn’t enough. As these two get closer, a secret from Sarah Jo’s past comes to the surface. She doesn’t want anyone to know because she wants to handle it on her own but Dade has other plans.

This was an okay story. A little too cut and dried for me. A tiny bit of suspense and a lot of sex. Hot sex, so that part was good. Will I go on with the series? I don’t know.

Consumed by Emily Snow

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne


                      
Consumed (Devoured, #2)

       
Grade-B+
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Devoured #2
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
176 pages
 
Lucas is a rock star and he and Sienna have a troubled past. He threw her out of his house when she wouldn’t submit and then he ended up buying her Grandma’s house that was in foreclosure. That led to Sienna signing a contract to work for him for an appointed amount of time and then he’d sign the house over to her. She did this but then he freaked out about his ex-wife and dismissed her.

Now, he’s back and begs for Sienna to take him back bascially. She’s gunshy but she is in love with him. Head over heels in love. His ex is still causing trouble, malicious trouble but Sienna keeps it from Lucas because he’s on tour and she doesn’t want him disturbed. There were a lot of obstacles for this couple to overcome: the band, the tour, Cilla, Tyler and Sam (the ex).

I really liked this book even with the wait. I hope she writes about the rest of the band. I know she’s written about Kylie and Wyatt. When I first read this series early last year, it just spoke to me. I loved everything about it. The chemsitry, hot sex scenes and believable emotions. I fell in love with Lucas Wolfe for two reasons:

1.) He played Britney Spears for her on his guitar. He’s a heavy metal guy but Sienna likes Britney.

2.) He says this to her- “I could have the shittiest day and then come within a hundred feet of you, and the only thing that matters is you.”

If you want something sweet and hot, read it.