contemporary

The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Every once in a while we read a book that we love so much that we decide we need to put up a review of it immediately, even though the review calendar is full.  This is one of those books.  Kay and Anne highly recommend you read The Story Guy.

The Story Guy
Grade-A
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
131 pages

This is the most beautiful book I’ve ever read. So much more than a romance. Powerful, moving, sweet, loving and sometimes even funny. It starts with the placement of personal ad and takes you on the journey of two people that so desperately needed each other. The desire to love and be loved is never more profound.

Brian places an ad for one day a week, to meet with someone for nothing more than kissing. No relationship, no extensive touching and no sex. Just kissing. He doesn’t have the time for anything more. He lives with his sister and works as an attorney.

Carrie is a librarian who answers his ad because of how it’s worded. She had no idea what she would be getting. Her confusion over the situation is understandable and frustrating. But growing to love someone is never easy. I really can’t tell you much more because I don’t want to give anything away.

I ended up open mouthed sobbing because the emotional pull of this story is huge.

                     

Mine To Take by Cynthia Eden

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Mine to Take
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-None
Genre-Contemporary/Romantic Suspense
Reviewed by Kay
151 pages

Trace and Skye were foster children at the same home in their teenage years. Skye’s parents died and Trace’s just didn’t care to raise him. After Trace saves Skye from an attempted rape by their foster brother, they became friends and then lovers. Trace broke up with Skye and joined the Army. Skye became a ballerina and pined for Trace. After an auto accident and the feeling she was being watched, she moved back to Chicago. She tried to hire Trace’s security firm but he offered to help her find her stalker for free. Trace wants Skye back in no uncertain terms.

It was good suspense but I think it’s hard to build great suspense in a novella. The romance was rushed and the lone love scene was hot. I wanted to like it more than I ended up liking it. It was just an okay read for me but I would definitely read more from this author again. Cynthia Eden writes good paranormal books with blistering love scenes that I missed here. Are you a romantic suspense fan?

Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Two of a Kind (Fool's Gold, #11)

Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Fool’s Gold #11
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
384 pages

Gideon Boylan was a sniper in the armed forces and a P.O.W., which has left him scarred. He has settled in the town of Fool’s Gold to try and find some peace. He bought the town’s radio station and even does the nighttime DJ job. He likes his privacy and doesn’t want to get too involved with anything. The he learns his one night stand from the past is here in his new hometown.

Felicia Swift is smart, scary smart. She was a logistics master with the Special Forces. She still works with four of them and is helping their new business in the town of Fool’s Gold  get off the ground. She has never had a family but wants one desperately. But to get that, you have to out your heart on the line and rejection is scary.

I wanted this to be so much better than it was. It was okay and I didn’t hate it but I certainly didn’t love it either. I mean it had everything I would normally love: a scarred hero and heroine, a secret baby and this town I love to read about. It never came together for me. Besides, the town has already had a secret baby story and I thought that was cheap. I’ll continue because of my love for this series but this was not as good as it usually is.