Kate

Slave Girl by Lisa Cach

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

20736296
Grade: D-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: Mild Kink
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Series: 1,001 Erotic Nights #1
Published: 7/28/14
Reviewed by Kate
90 pages

Nimia has been Sygarius’s slave for 9 years now.  No one is allowed to touch her and she’s not allowed to do any hard labor.  Sygarius, a Roman leader, is training her to become his concubine when she becomes a woman.  And that time is drawing closer.  Nimia is looking forward to the time she will finally be able to use all of her training, until she spots Clovis.  Clovis is the son of the king of Franks and has come to Sygarius’s along with his father for discussions.  When he spots Nimia, they are drawn to one another.  But she is Sygarius’s alone, or is she?

The writing in this one keeps you turning the pages.  There are politics aplenty that keep you guessing what comes next.  Being told only from Nimia’s point of view, the reader is kept clueless as the events unfold.  We are left wondering at the true intentions of Sygarius and Clovis.

Sygarius’s obsession with Nimia is borderline disturbing.  Borderline, simply because she is his slave and in this world that appears to be acceptable.  And the fact that he is saving her for himself almost makes him her savior.  Clovis is instantly drawn to her, yet approaches her without regard to the effects it may have on her life in Sygarius’s household.

As for romance in this one, I’m going to say that there’s not really any.  There are relationships with both Sygarius and Clovis, although there appears to be no feelings from either (other than possession).  Nimia herself doesn’t really seem to have feelings for either of them.    Fair warning:  this one is filled with swords, branches, and rods.  As well as flowers, petals, scabbards, and cunny (gak-that’s my least favorite ever).  So although it is extremely descriptive, I found myself chuckling at times.

Sadly, this one didn’t work for me on many levels.  Maybe it was all the “cunny” references.  Or perhaps her initiation rite.  Yep.  Probably the initiation is when I decided I was done.  It is the first one of a serial so perhaps there is hope.  If you like your heroine with multiple partners and like politics, this one might be worth a shot, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone looking for a more standard boy-meets-girl-and-instantly-falls-in-love romance.

So the word cunny is going on my list of descriptors I never want to read again.  Along with the combination of sword and scabbard.  How about you?  What are the words that you never want to read in a sex scene?

Should’ve Been Home Yesterday by Inez Kelly

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

16647445

Grade: A-
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Country Roads #3
Published: 7/21/14
Reviewed by Kate
189 pages

One night filled with alcohol and passion leaves Molly knocking at Webb’s door to tell him she’s pregnant.  A quick Vegas weekend later and they’re married.  Molly has been in love with Webb since she was eleven and hopes that he’ll come to love her as well.  But if he’s always holding himself back, will their marriage even have a chance to get off the ground?

Molly has know Webb her entire life (he’s 10 years older than she is), their families have been business partners going way back.  And she’s been in love with him just as long.  But there’s a huge, sad history standing between the two of them.  Webb knows that he can never make up for all the things that happened in the past, but he just can’t hand his heart over to Molly either.

This one started off with a strong pull on my heartstrings.  I love a marriage of convenience story and this one was one of the best that I’ve read.  Webb is determined not to risk his heart and Molly is just as determined to win it for herself.  The mystery of their past slowly unfolds through flashbacks and was perfectly combined with their present day romance to create a page turner that made me seriously book cranky.  An “interrupt me at your own risk” book.

A marriage of convenience, love that’s been hidden for years, a mystery about their pasts, and just enough suspense to keep your heart pounding.  This one is going on my year’s best list!

 

A Wife for One Year (Those Engaging Garretts!) By Brenda Harlen

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

22405802
Grade: C+
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Published: 8/1/14
Reviewed by Kate
224 pages

Daniel and Kenna have been best friends since they were paired up as chemistry lab partners in high school.  Daniel gets a chance to fulfill a dream, but he needs access to his trust fund first.  And in order to get access to his trust fund, he needs a wife.  Kenna is the only one that he can think of, and the fact that she needs money to pay for her sister’s surgery means she quickly agrees to the plan as well.  But the agreement quickly turns into more than either of them had planned.

I read a lot of erotic romance and every once in a while I need a break.  I know that I can turn to Harlequin Special Edition for that palette cleanser.  This book was just what I needed!

It’s clear that Daniel and Kenna have a really close relationship prior to their marriage deal, and they’ve both kept their romantic feelings hidden.  There’s a lot of “but he’s/she’s my best friend and I don’t want to ruin that.”  There’s also lots of misunderstandings that could have easily been solved by the two of them actually talking.  Seriously.  A lot of misunderstandings.  Why the pair of them couldn’t just be up front about something I never did figure out.  But I guess if they had been upfront this would have been more of a novella than a full length.

Even with all the head smacking misunderstandings, I enjoyed this one a lot.  It was just what I wanted.  If you like low conflict and friends-to-lovers stories, give this one a try.