Best of 2013

The Proposition by Jennifer Lyon

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

The Proposition (The Plus One Chronicles, #1)
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Series-The Plus One Chronicles #1
Reviewed by Kay

Sloane Michaels is an ex UFC fighter and a billionaire. He achieved his wealth through fighting and endorsements which he used to open a chain of fitness centers. He is very alpha (sigh) and really is a force of nature. Not classically handsome but ruggedly gorgeous. He’s at a wedding and notices the caterer, Kat Thayne. He wants her and that’s all there is to it.

Kat Thayne is a scarred woman, in more ways than one. A brutal attack five plus years earlier has left her with a lot of emotional and physical baggage to deal with. She feels like a failure to her family, and after an attack on her best friend, she feels like a failure to him too.

Sloane offers to train her in self defense in exchange for her to be his plus one at events. He’ll be her plus one also. Oh, and they will have sex. With no strings attached though.  Kat finally agrees to these terms and boy was I glad.

This book just worked for me on all levels. Easy to read, good characters, good premise and chemistry. Hot, hot, hot! I loved it and I can’t wait for book two coming out in May! One of my best of 2013.

Beyond Control by Kit Rocha

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Beyond Control (Beyond, #2)
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: BDSM (but pretty light stuff)
Genre: Dystopian
Series: Beyond #2
Reviewed by Anne

Note: This book will be enjoyed much more if you read Beyond Shame first.  I really enjoyed Beyond Shame (my review) and it does a great job of world building and explaining the O’Kane gang.  I think this is especially important in understanding the role sex plays between them all.  In this dystopian world the O’Kane gang is free to give and receive sexual favors… or not.  But they tend toward group play and open displays.  Beyond Shame made me feel comfortable in this world, especially in the relationship that Lex and Noelle have together.  It’s like best friends with benefits.

 
OK, so Dallas O’Kane runs Sector 4 and is the leader of the O’Kane gang.  Lex long ago escaped the brothels in Sector 2 and eventually settled into Sector 4 and the O’Kane gang.  She’s the unofficial leader of the females and has the respect of everyone in the gang, including Dallas.  There is a strong attraction between Dallas and Lex.  They both know that someday this relationship will be made permanent (the O’Kane version of marriage) but neither has been ready to take the next step toward that.  
 
This story starts with Lex getting a tattoo of Dallas’ name, from hip to hip.  She knows it will start the journey toward him officially claiming her.  She’s nervous about how that will all go down, but knows it’s time to stop stalling.  Getting the tattoo is an in-your-face taunt to Dallas.  Once he discovers it he immediately collars Lex.  Putting a collar on a partner is a short term declaration of ownership/partnership.  Lex is fine with that move, and the rest of the story is how they stumble forward to a long term relationship.
 
Lex’s main issue is trusting someone else to take care of her and put her first.  Dallas quickly realizes this, but that doesn’t mean their path is smooth.  At the same time there is a political situation afoot that demands their attention as leaders and also drags them back into contact with Sector 2.  (By the way, Sector 2 was a little disappointing.  I expected a lot of heat there.  I think the point was that displays without affection aren’t really that hot, but still, I’d been hoping!)
 
I loved the sex scenes in this book.  Hot, and they really show the relationship progress between Dallas and Lex.  I also liked the friendship and support Dallas and Lex (together and individually) got from their friends.  The gang is like a small town with everyone all up in everyone else’s business (sometimes literally) and that means everyone is watching Dallas and Lex closely.
 
While I was reading this story I didn’t want to put the book down!  I was so caught up in it.  When I was done I immediately wanted to re-read it.  However, part of that was because I want a little reassurance that Dallas and Lex will be ok. They certainly have a rough road ahead of them.  This is due mostly to Dallas’ uber-alphaness.  I’m not sure much changed over the course of the book.  The story was more about Lex and Dallas each coming to terms with who the other was.  I was left with the feeling that they will continue to step on each other’s feelings, but that they are committed to working things out, though.
 
I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.  There are several ongoing story lines and I want to know more!  The next book is due in early Fall 2013.  I’m counting the days and will reread this one while I wait. 

Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Along Came Trouble (Camelot #2)
Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Camelot #2
Reviewed by Anne

This book made me smile and put Ruthie Knox on my short list.  I’d rank her up there with Jill Shalvis, Victoria Dahl, and Sarah Mayberry.  A sweet and hot romance with some humor thrown in.  I really want to go buy her first two books that I missed.

Ellen is a hard working, divorced single mom of a 2 year old son.  She’s also the sister of a very famous singer, Jamie.  Jamie unintentionally turned Ellen’s life upside down when he started dating her next door neighbor, Carly.  Even after Jamie and Carly broke up and Jamie left town, the press remains very interested in Carly.  When the paparazzi continues to be aggressive, Jamie hires a security team to take care of Carly and Ellen.  Caleb is head of the security team and very thankful for the job.  He doesn’t expect that neither woman will want his protection.  And he doesn’t expect to be so attracted to Ellen.

I thought this book would be about a forbidden attraction between Ellen and Caleb.  Thankfully, it’s not.  Pretty early in the book Caleb decides it’s ok if he has a thing with Ellen.  Also pretty early in the book he decides he doesn’t just want sex, he wants more.  So they negotiate.  They negotiate about what security provisions Ellen is willing to make, and they negotiate about what kind of relationship Ellen is willing to have.  I really enjoyed their negotiations.  I really enjoyed almost everything about this book!

Ellen and Caleb both are intelligent and not afraid to apologize when they realize they’re in the wrong.  And there are times when they are in the wrong.  They aren’t perfect, and that was nice to read.  Ellen especially has a lot to overcome as she comes back to life after divorcing her emotionally abusive husband.  She struggles to not depend on a man and stand on her own.  I really appreciated her journey and felt for her.

Rock star brother Jamie and neighbor Carly have a great story.  I think if their back story had been filled out they could have carried a book on their own.  It certainly added a lighter side to the book when things got heavy between Ellen and Caleb.  Carly’s grandma was a hoot, too, but I think I’ve read too many books in a row that had an outspoken elderly woman character.  They start to all blend together.

My only complaints about the book have to do with Ellen’s son, Henry.  I thought his Yoda-style speech pattern was annoying, and his confusion of pronouns felt unrealistic to me.  I could be wrong, though, I’m not a speech expert.  I did LOVE that he called Caleb “Cabe”.  Very sweet. 

Overall, my small complaints were handily outbalanced by all of the things I loved in this book.  I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read more by Ruthie Knox!