Heat Level – Blaze

Offsides by Juliana Stone

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Offside (The Barker Triplets, #1)
Grade-C
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-None
Series-The Barker Triplets #1
Reviewed by Kay

Billie-Jo Barker was a pro hockey player in Europe who has come home after a career ending injury. She lives with her sister Bobbi-Jo, who’s rude and hateful. Also with her father suffering from dementia and her grandfather who has his hands full dealing with all of them. She joins the town hockey league as their first female player. Most of the men in the league and the town are opposed except for the man who broke her heart years ago.

Logan Forest is a mechanic of some sorts in his home town. He is shocked to see Billie-Jo at home. He has always known of her but not really paid much attention to her because he only saw her sister, Betty-Jo. He thinks it will be great to watch Billie-Jo play hockey because of her talent. Not to mention his attraction to her.

  • These two characters are really into each other in a big way. Billie-Jo has loved Logan forever and has a secret to go along with that. Logan has these crazy feelings for Billie-Jo that leave him at a little loss for words. There was some conflict in this novel but not what I would call high level. I enjoyed it and may continue on with the series. 

A Taste of Sin by Connie Mason

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

A Taste of Sin (Sin Trilogy, #1)
Grade: C-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: HistoricalSeries: Sin Trilogy #1
Reviewed by Kate

After the battle of Culloden the king declares that the daughters of Scottish chiefs shall marry English lords. And so, 7 year old Christy Macdonald finds herself married to 14 year old St. John (Sinjin) Thornton, a marquis. Flash forward 15 years and Sinjin has become known as Lord Sin, a notorious rake who has never returned to his wife to consummate their wedding. Christy is now the laird of her clan in the highlands. She is under a lot of pressure to have her marriage annulled so she can marry a man from the highlands. Christy travels to London to seek out Sinjin. Her clan thinks she is going to get the annulment, but she has other plans. She’s going to seduce her husband.

I loved the premise of this book and it started off strong. I soon came to dislike Christy. She quickly developed a pattern of lying to Sinjin, then running away. Then Sinjin would take his own sweet time chasing after her and the cycle would begin again. I found this book overly dramatic. Romance does not have to equal drama. The whole thing could have been resolved by locking the two of them in a room until they talked (of course the same could be said for a lot of romances). However, if you like your highlander romances to read like a soap opera, give this one a try. 

To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons, #5)
Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical
Series: Bridgertons #5
Reviewed by Kate

 
Eloise has been corresponding with Phillip since his wife passed away over a year ago.  When he invites her to visit him to see if they might suit each other, Eloise (a spinster who is starting to feel lonely) decides to be daring and go by herself.  She is surprised to find Phillip has a set of unruly twins.  Having learned a little about each other through letters, they get to know each other quickly.  And then Eloise’s four brothers show up on Phillip’s doorstep.

 
I am enjoying each Bridgerton book more and more.  Eloise and Phillip’s story is my favorite so far.  While both strong characters, there is a fragility about them that is so realistic it tugs at your heart.  There are moments of the Bridgerton humor I’ve come to love and appreciate, but I actually like the more tender tone of this book.