Kate

Castaway Dreams by Darlene Marshall

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

13610529

Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Historical
Published: 5/6/12
Reviewed by Kate
324  pages

Surgeon Alexander Murray and socialite Daphne Farnham are passengers aboard a ship heading for England.  Alexander is serious man, never seen to smile.  Daphne is constantly smiling and giggling, her head filled with fluff.  While Alexander has a hard time tolerating her, he finds himself attracted to her all the same.  Realizing the vast difference in their social positions, Alexander is determined not to let himself act on his desires.  But when a storm strands the pair on a deserted island, he discovers there’s more to Daphne than meets the eye.

Daphne’s character is hilarious.  And like Alexander, we quickly discover that there are many layers to her.  She’s not just the silly girl that she first appears to be.  And Daphne’s relationship with Alexander is just perfect.  Softening his harsher edges, they seem to be the perfect pair.

This is a re-read for me.  I’ve also read Sea Change by Darlene Marshall, which is loosely related to this one, but this one can completely stand alone.  Pirates, shipwrecks, and little fluffy dogs.  This one is the perfect historical read for anyone who likes a little sea faring with their romance.

Falling for Her Husband by Karen Erickson

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22401706
Grade: C
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: The Renaldis #3
Published: 7/22/14
Reviewed by Kate
172 pages

Vince, a rich Italian, and Amber, an up and coming super model, fell hard and fast for each other.  But despite being married, their jobs are pulling them apart.  When Vince decides it’s time to make a change so they can spend more time together, he discovers Amber is leaning toward divorce.  But an argument on a New York sidewalk leads to Amber being hit by a car and losing a few months of her memory…including any talk of divorce.

While predictable, this one kept me turning pages.  I loved Vince’s dedication to this marriage.  When Amber can’t remember what happened before her accident, Vince decides not to tell her that she had been thinking about divorce.  He’s committed to fixing their relationship and doesn’t want to bring any negative feelings into Amber’s recovery.  I will say, while I understood his motivation for not telling her, I really got tired of all his inner turmoil about not being honest with her.

I didn’t click with Amber’s character like I would have liked to.  There were things I felt she gave up too easily and things I thought she held on to too tightly.  But when she was together with Vince, he seemed to balance her out a bit.

I would recommend this one to anyone who likes low conflict husband/wife romances.

Bound to be Tamed by Becca Jameson

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

21822908
Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: HIgh Kink
Genre: Contemporary, menage, m/m, m/m/f
Series: Emergence #2
Published: 7/29/14
Reviewed by Kate
369 pages

Stephanie has decided to enter into a full time Dom/sub role with Doms Aiden and Dane.  So she takes a huge step and quits her job (her new relationship is not the only reason that she quits) and moves in with the men.  Aiden and Dane have been looking for a female sub to add to their relationship and Stephanie is perfect for them.  But can they walk the fine line between helping Steph embrace her submissiveness and pushing her too hard?

Stephanie is new to the Dom/sub scene and Dane and Aiden want to push her past her comfort levels.  And boy do they push her.  She struggles with each new task they set before her, yet finds that each task completes something inside her.  What a journey to watch her go through.

Dane and Aiden are relatively new to the scene as well.  Only having been Doms for around 6 months.  For being newbies, I was surprised at how good they seemed at it, maybe even a little too good.  I really wanted to see them stumble a bit.

If there’s one thing I want you to take away from this review it’s this:  the sex scenes were smoking hot.  Extremely graphic and extremely frequent.  A friend of mine would refer to this one as a one-hand-two-finger read.  The scenes between Dane and Aiden were perfection and the scenes between the three of them were beyond that.

I’ve not read the first book in this series, but it’s at the top of my TBR pile. This one met and exceeded my expectations on so many levels.  If you like menage, m/m, and bdsm this is one that you have try, but you might want a little privacy while you’re reading.