contemporary

Along Came Trouble by Ruthie Knox

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

15761442

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Camelot, #2
Published: 3/11/13
Reviewed by Kate
416 pages

 

Ellen’s twin brother Jamie is famous, really famous.  She can’t imagine having to live with all the security he lives with on a daily basis.  She likes her hard won freedom too much.  But that’s exactly what she’ll have to put up with after Jamie starts dating her neighbor Carly and then dumps her, leaving the paparazzi trampling Ellen’s flowers while trying to get the latest picture of Carly.  But when Caleb (owner of a private security firm) shows up at her door, she’s thinking maybe security won’t be all that bad-until he starts talking about all the changes she’ll need to make in her life.

 

I loved Ellen’s character.  She’s finally figured out who she is and what she wants out of life after a childhood that was all about Jamie and an alcoholic, womanizing ex-husband.  Then Caleb comes sauntering up to her door.  He has all these grand ideas and she wants nothing to do with them.  She wants the life she fought for.  And Caleb is one of those rare heroes that actually listens.  But he’s walking a fine line between allowing Ellen her independence and protecting her from dangers she doesn’t think are really there.  The verbal sparring between these two was trophy-worthy. And the between-the-sheets sparring was great too.

 

I think it’s worth noting that Ellen does have a 2 year old son Henry that I found, quite honestly, annoying.  Mainly the way he spoke.  It just grated every time.  At the same time, the way Caleb interacted with Henry actually melted my heart a little.  I just wish the kid had been a little more quiet.

 

My sister Anne has been raving about Ruthie Knox for a while now and I see what she was talking about.  Between the strong characters (both main and secondary) she creates, the wonderful dialogue, and the steamy romance I just couldn’t stop turning pages.  I can’t wait to pick up another of her books!

Tempting Alibi Review by Savannah Stuart

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

9120391
Grade: D+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 8/19/14
Reviewed by Kate

Michaela and Scott have barely spoken to each other, even though they’ve been neighbors for months now.  But when Michaela’s car needs some work, she takes it to Scott’s garage.  While she’s there the sheriff comes in and asks Scott where he was the night before.  Michaela pipes up and tells the sheriff that Scott was with her.  Later that day, Scott knocks on her door to say thank you and the relationship builds quickly from there.

I was happily reading my way through the pages of this one and then the last page snuck up on me.  I knew it was on the shorter side as far as length goes, but I didn’t feel like the story was done yet.  It almost felt like a long exerpt from a novel rather than a complete story in itself.  The summary made me think there was going to be a lot more conflict than there ended up being.  The main conflict would be the issue with the sheriff, but after she provides an alibi it’s a complete non-issue.  And even the climax of the book (no, not that kind of climax) was rather anti-climactic.  I didn’t feel like there was much, if any, character growth.  Rather than watching the pair of them discover each other and themselves this one seemed to be a matter of one of them finally getting up the nerve to talk to the other.  After that, all communicating was done in the buff.  And there was a lot of in the buff stuff being done.  All in all, I was left with a definite feeling of “there should have been more.”

Second Helpings by Charlie Cochrane

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22033639 

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: m/m, Contemporary
Published: 7/21/14
Reviewed by Anne
243  pages

Stuart’s partner Mark died in a car crash a year ago and he’s still having a hard time living day to day.  When his dad starts dating a new woman, her son, Paul, calls Stuart to check on Stuart’s dad and make sure his intentions are good.  Stuart and Paul don’t get off to a great start, but recognize the loneliness in each other.  Paul has just moved away from his partner, Ben.  Ben just stops calling, texting, emailing, or contacting Paul in any way.  So, as Stuart sees his dad coming back to life with his new girlfriend, Paul is seeing his relationship ending.  Stuart and Paul decide to get together again and see where things will go.

I really enjoyed this story!  It reminded me of a Lauren Dane story in all the best ways.  You get to know the characters and watch them get to know each other.  They aren’t perfect with each other.  They make mistakes and have to decide if it’s worth the work to set things right.  They each have to decide if they are ready to let go of their previous partners or not.  Just the kind of book I love to sink into!

It’s set in England, which I really enjoyed.  I love the little differences in slang and really appreciate that they weren’t edited out!  Stuart’s dad and Paul’s mom are nice secondary characters.

After I read the book I checked out Charlie Cochrane’s backlist – it’s huge!  I’ve got that giddy feeling you get when you realize there’s a long list of good books to read!  It does look like most of her writing is historical.  I really enjoyed this contemporary story, but next time I’m in a historical mood I think I’ll try one of hers!

This was a great story!  I recommend it to readers who enjoy contemporary m/m and like a slower paced relationship centered book.