contemporary

Issy’s Infatuation by Shelley Munro

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Issy's Infatuation

Grade: C-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary, Novella
Published: 3/10/2007
Reviewed by Anne
47 pages
 
Issy is a rugby player hoping to move up from her small team to a more competitive one.  She’s surprised when her new coach is her long time crush Tyler.  He proposes a month of hot sex between them and she takes him up on it, hoping he’ll be hooked on her and want to stick around until the month is over. 
 
This one just didn’t work for me.  The writing was hot, but the pacing of the relationship felt rushed. (I know, I know, it’s a novella, but still!)  I think the sex was well written, but the plot was weak and Tyler was kind of a douche.

M/M Monday-Apple Polisher by Heidi Belleau

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

       
Grade-B-
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Rear Entrance Video #1
Genre-Contemporary M/M
Reviewed by Kate
194 pages

Christian has been accepted into a teaching school that has strict requirements for their students’ dress and behavior, both in school and out. Christian is walking on egg shells because he’s pretty sure if anyone finds out he’s gay, he’ll get kicked out of the program. Max is one of Christian’s new housemates. Despite the fact that Max didn’t want Christian as a housemate, Christian finds himself drawn to Max. But Max is a mystery. No one knows what he does for a living or even what his last name is. When Christian’s aunt gets too sick to work at the porn store she owns, Christian finds himself offering to help out. But working at a porn store could definitely get him kicked out of the teaching program if anyone found out. Can Christian manage to keep so many secrets without losing Max in the process?

It always amazes me when an author can hold my attention when their characters are being such idiots. Christian has his head so far up his ass that he doesn’t see that he’s losing himself in order to become a picture perfect teacher. Luckily, Max is there and not afraid to tell Christian what’s what.. But even through all of Christian’s obliviousness, I kept turning the pages. Even when Christian pushes Max away because he doesn’t fit the perfect teacher mold, I kept turning pages. I’m not a huge fan of “I’ve got a secret or ten” plots. I prefer that the characters actually talk to one another. But despite all the secrets, this one worked for me. I got the need for the secrets in this case. Thankfully, the ending pulled everything to a happy conclusion, all wrapped up with a bow.

I look forward to reading more of Heidi Belleau’s strong characters, emotional plots, and page scorching love scenes in the next book in this series. Now if I only had more time to catch up on her backlist.

The Accidental Call Girl by Portia Da Costa

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

The Accidental Call Girl (Accidental #1)

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Moderate Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Accidental #1
Reviewed by Anne
239 pages
 
When Lizzie steps out of a friend’s wedding reception and into a hotel bar, she realizes the handsome older man at the bar thinks she’s a “high class call girl.”  It’s an exciting prospect to consider and she decides to play along.  It’s even more exciting when she realizes it will give her a chance to try out some BDSM play.
 
John is so fascinated by the strangely innocent prostitute he picked up in the bar that he makes her offer – be with him every night during his business trip and he’ll pay her handsomely for her exclusive services.  Neither of them expects to fall for the other.
 
This was a solid, well written book that was also really hot!  I enjoyed it and was totally drawn in, wondering what would happen next.  Though the story is told from both points of view, we know Lizzie’s secrets from the beginning but know nothing of John’s other than that he has secrets.  The main conflict in the story is what will happen when they are open with each other?
 
I was fascinated at how this played out.  It made me think about what it means to be a prostitute.  Lizzie doesn’t think she is one, because she doesn’t intend to keep John’s money and because she’d willingly do what he wants without it.  She’s quite swept away by him, even though she’s trying not to fall in love.  Even though not every secret is spelled out in great detail, I felt like The Accidental Call Girl had a very satisfying HFN ending with confidence that an HEA would follow.  
 
I was surprised when writing up this review to realize that this book is the first in a same couple trilogy.  I generally shy away from those, but I have to say this book stands on it’s own very well.  It has that wonderful fine balance of leaving you interested to know what happens next, while leaving you full of hope for the couple.  I very much appreciate the NON-CLIFFHANGER ending!
 
I’ve read short stories by Portia Da Costa before and enjoyed them.  How delightful to find out she’s an author who can write well in short and long form!!  
 
So, I’ve read stories where the male character is a prostitute, but this is my first with the female in that role.  I think it was highly romanticized (a la Pretty Woman) but it was good.  How about you?  Have you found a romance with a prostitute as a main character that you enjoyed?  Or does that not work for you?