no kink

The Secret Heir of Sunset Ranch Charlene Sands

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

       
Grade-C-
Hotness Level-Blaze
Kink Level-No Kink
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
192 pages

The Cast

Justin: Ass-hat who lost a bet and had to pretend he was Brett for a weekend-and while he was at it, decided to sleep with Kat as Brett. Son of the wealthy Slade family.

Brett: Justin’s soldier buddy who died in the line of duty, was raised by his Aunt Mattie. Had never met, much less slept with Kat.

Kat: Slept with Brett (who was really Justin), then found out she was pregnant. Was raised in an extremely poor and abusive household. Wants better for her son. A reformed gold digger. Currently living with Aunt Mattie.

Aunt Mattie: Brett’s aunt. Lost her husband and her nephew-both had been in the military. The news of her nephew’s death caused a heart attack, leaving her in a fragile health state.

Connor: Young son of Kat and Justin. A model baby, always sleeping when the story requires it.

The Plot

Justin returns home after his stint in the military is finished. He heads over to Brett’s aunt’s house to confess his guilt over Brett’s death. When he arrives, he discovers Kat living there with Connor, the son he didn’t know about. Aunt Mattie believes Connor is her nephew’s son. Kat pleads with Justin to not reveal Connor’s paternity as Aunt Mattie’s health is too fragile to handle such a blow. Justin reluctantly agrees, but demands to be a part of Connor’s life.

This was a book about secrets. Everyone seemed to have at least one huge skeleton in their closet. Starting off with Justin’s “Brett’s not my name” secret, it was just one secret after another.

It was also a book about money. How having money or not having money can lead to different motivations. Justin is not afraid to throw his money around. Kat struggles to not chase after money.

Secrets and money are not a good combination for me. I can handle one or the other, but when you put them together, it gets too soap opera-ish for me. And that’s what this book read like. A soap opera. The characters seemed a bit like stock characters. A hero with money and a secret. Check. A heroine with a secret and no money. Check. I just couldn’t connect with either of them and their conflict didn’t pull me in either.

Obviously, secrets and money don’t work for me as a combination. Do you have any combinations that don’t work for you, but are okay individually?

Real by Katy Evans

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Real (Real, Raw & Ripped, #1)
Grade-B
Hotness Level-Inferno
Kink Level-No Kink
Series-Real, Raw and Ripped #1
Genre-Contemporary
Reviewed by Kay
266 pages

I have been waiting to read this for a looong time and I’m so glad I did! Remington is an underground boxer who was a pro but now is fallen from grace. A true and total bad boy, in every sense of the word. He sees Brooke before one of his matches and becomes fixated on her. Brooke sees Remy and thinks he’s the sexiest man she’s ever seen. He needs her to do something for him and this starts a beautiful but not traditional love story.

As I was reading I was intrigued and a little aggravated by the pacing of this book at first. I kept thinking that with all the sexual tension going on that surely someone would have sex soon. You so have to wait until about 55% into the story for the sex but it is so worth it. This is a very dirty book and I ended up liking it a whole lot.

It is a story of unconditional love and what that really means. It’s also about a pure love that gives you a goofy smile on your face and makes your heart full. When you learn Remy’s secret you’ll love him even more. This is an on going series (which is not my favorite thing) but I will be here awaiting each and every book.

Dangerous Curves Ahead by Sugar Jamison

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Dangerous Curves Ahead (Perfect Fit, #1)

Grade: B
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Perfect Fit #1
Published: 8/27/13
Reviewed by Anne
246 pages
Ellis Garret is a plus sized woman who has come to terms with her size.  She’s not on a huge life changing diet or quest to get skinny.  She’s ok with where she is, but she also knows very well that society thinks she’s fat.  An ex-boyfriend was very clear about that.  When he pushes Ellis too far, she dumps him, quits her job, and moves back to her home town to start a clothing shop for women who are hard to fit – plus sized, extra tall, extra short.  
Mike Edwards was her college girl crush, but he was only friendly to her – he dated her sister.  He bumps into Ellis at the local coffee shop, and he looks familiar, but he can’t remember her.  Ellis could be bothered by his lack of memory, but she’ s not.  She finds it funny and teases him, refusing to tell him how she knows him and even knows what kind of underwear he wears.  Mike is used to having women fall at his feet, so he’s intrigued by Ellis happily walking away from him after he flirts with her.
I’m not a huge fan of cartoony romance covers, but when I saw this book featured a plus sized heroine, and it DIDN’T sound like it was about dieting, I decided to give it a try. I’m SO glad I did! It was a wonderfully witty story about a woman happy as she is, trying to overcome insecurities she picked up due to past relationships and a man who has never been interested in a long term relationship before. It was funny and sweet and hot. I really enjoyed it.
The dialog is really entertaining.  I especially enjoyed the back and forth between Ellis and Mike.  I love that Ellis doesn’t put up with crap or excuses from anyone.  When Mike does her wrong, she calls him out on it and is clear about what he did that hurt her.  The secondary characters are fun to read, too.  Ellis’ parents are a hoot!
It did feel like the book was too long. It took too many times hashing through the same relationship problems, and when that happens, it leaves me a little doubtful about their future.  The epilogue absolutely pissed me off, both because it was a change in character and because I thought what happened (and I know it was supposed to be cute) was actually a really crappy way to treat your spouse.
All that said, the good absolutely outweighed the bad for me.  I’ll read another book by Sugar Jamison for sure – even if there’s a cartoon on the cover!