Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Lauren

  Based on the timing of what books are published when and the accompanying news stories and marketing campaigns, during the summer you're supposed to read romance, action thrillers or whatever else is short, fun, and easy.  Fall marks the beginning of the serious reading season.  It's when the big books, the ones likely to be nominated for prestigious awards tend to get published.  I tend to read in the opposite way.  During the summer when I have more free time and especially when I'm on vacation, I pick big books.  During the winter, especially at Christmas I read mysteries and romances.  With all the busyness of the holiday season and finals (I work at a university), it is hard for me to get into a complicated story.  This is largely why I picked up Sweet Filthy Boy by Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings, the writing duo that goes by Christina Lauren.   I needed something light and fun and this definitely fit the bill.

Living up to its name, this read was definitely sweet and filthy.  It begins with three girlfriends celebrating their graduation from college with a trip to Vegas.  The three girls, Mia, Harlow and Lola meet three boys: Frenchman Ansel, Australian Oliver and Canadian Finn.  After a night of hard partying the three girls wake up married to the three boys.  Harlow, Lola, Oliver and Finn sober up the next morning and wisely line up to get annulments immediately.  Ansel meanwhile refuses to give Mia an annulment.  He tells her that when they got married Mia made him promise not to get an annulment at least until the summer ends.  Mia remembers barely anything from the night before but decides to go with it, confident she'll be single by the time graduate school begins in the fall.  She plans to pursue an MBA at Boston University, or rather Mia's father plans for her to pursue an MBA.  Mia returns to her parents home and prepares to start the next phase of her life as planned.  After a few horrible days with her parents, Mia decides to throw caution to the wind and spend the summer in Paris with her new "husband."  This is a romance so you know where this heading.  There is some awkwardness, some misunderstandings, lots of sex, and eventually they fall in love.  It was all very hot, very sweet and plenty filthy - the perfect read for the busy holiday season.