That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert

Rae is Ravenswood's newest misfit. She's 40, divorced, and has a big scar on her face. Twenty-eight-year-old Zach is Mr. Helpful. He goes out of his way to make others feel comfortable and helps whenever he can, whether the person needs an orgasm or a car to be fixed. Rae and Zach have a flirty friendship. When Rae needs to attend an awards ceremony that her cheating ex-husband will also be attending, naturally Zach offers to be her pretend boyfriend.

That Kind of Guy is sweet and sexy romance. The attraction between Rae and Zach is clear from page one. The highlight of Zach's day is when Rae stops by on her dog walks to say hello. The issues separating them are their various insecurities. Rae likes being single and is wary of trusting her heart with anyone again. Zach is tired of being used and of contorting himself to make other other people feel comfortable. It takes time, but not too much, for both to admit they have real feelings for one another.

I very much enjoyed this. I don't know why it took so long for me to read this.

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

  I like the set up of this book. Samiah Brooks is an intelligent and accomplished African-American woman who works in the tech industry at a company called Trendsetters. The story begins with Samiah finding out that the guy she's been seeing is a liar who's been dating her and multiple other women. She confronts him at a restaurant. The upside of this dating disater is that Samiah gets two new friends out of it - Taylor and London - two other women who had been duped by the same guy. I wouldn't be surprised if there were future books focusing on these two women.

Samiah's work life is going better than her romantic life. She's a star at work and better yet, a hot new guy named Daniel Collins just joined the team. They flirt for awhile before there's a kiss. Then he abruptly pulls back before diving back in. Slowly Samiah and Daniel find themselves in the beginning throes of a relationship. There is just one problem - Daniel isn't exactly who he claims to be.

Be forewarned, there are spoilers going forward...

Turns out Daniel is an undercover federal agent sent to find out who at Trendsetters has been laundering dirty money that could be used to fund terrorist activities. On the whole Daniel is very good at his job. Unfortunately for him Trendsetters is even at better at securing sensitive information. Much of what Trendsetters does is solve computer related problems for other companies and that necessitates keeping private information private. So private that Daniel can't infiltrate the company's security protocols.

Eventually an opportunity presents itself. Remember how Samiah is a star at work. Being star also means having a better security clearance. One night after sleeping with her, Daniel steals Samiah's access card and makes a copy of it. This is where I fell off the Daniel train and had trouble getting back on. Once he had access to the necessary areas of Trendsetters, Daniel is able to find the evidence he needs and bad people are arrested. Sure Daniel had to lie and steal from Samiah, but it was for the greater good, right?

Here's my problem. By stealing Samiah's access card, Daniel not only puts Samiah's job, but her entire career at risk. Several times in the book Samiah talks about the obstacles she faces in her career as a Black women in an industry where there are relatively few women, few people of color, and even fewer women of color. Samiah knows people don't expect her to be smart. They don't assume she knows programming. Colleagues steal her ideas but she can't make a fuss because then she would be the Angry Black Woman who isn't a team player. She has gotten to used to people being slightly disappointed and shocked when they learn that the "S" in sbrooks@trendsetters.com stands for Samiah and not Sarah or something else more White sounding. She has to work twice as hard as anyone else to be taken seriously. She does it because she loves what she does and because she wants to pave the women for other women and people of color in the tech industry.

Daniel knows all of this and steals her access card anyway. Sure at the end of the day some bad guys get caught doing bad things, but the fact that it was Samiah's access card that got stolen will haunt her and her career. And in fact, she is punished for it at work. For reasons, the punishment works in her favor but still it is a punishment.

Because this is a romance, there must be a happily-ever-after, which is to say, everything works out in the end between Samiah and Daniel. But it felt disingenuous. Yes Daniel apologizes, but it was a quick "Sorry I lied. I had no choice, and hey, I really do like you." It wasn't enough of an apology and not enough time had passed between the betrayal and the happily-ever-after moment. In the end, the fact that a Black woman has to get thrown under the proverbial bus for the so-called greater good just didn't sit well with me. For that reason, I cannot entirely recommend this book.

A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole

  This is the second novel in Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series. In this one Portia, a flighty fun loving woman, goes to Scotland to do an internship with a swordmaker named Tavish. Tavish is immediately struck so hard by Portia's beauty that he can't think straight or act right. Instead he is rude and dismissive. Eventually he sees how smart and talented Portia is. Portia for her part is also attracted to Tavish but she never lets that get in the way of her job. Speaking of which, while doing research Portia discovers that Tavish is the son and heir of the former duke. So then Tavish has to learn how to be a duke and the two of them have to figure out their relationship.

This was cute. The ending was a little rushed. There is a story line involving Portia's relationship with her family that I wanted to explore more, but aside from that minor quibble this was an enjoyable read.

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

  Henry "Monty" Montague has been bred to be gentleman but would rather spend his time gambling, drinking, and shall we say hooking up with women and men. His father gives him one last chance. Monty is sent on a grand tour (think of it as a gap year for the 18th century set) of continental Europe. In addition to a chaperone, Monty is accompanied by his best friend and romantic crush Percy and his sister Felicity. The plan is that after a year touring around the continent Percy will be dropped off at a school in Holland (or so Monty is told) and Felicity will be left at a finishing school. 

Monty is a rich, white, spoiled boy who just wants to have fun and has no interest in becoming the next earl and running his father's estate. One of the things I loved about this is that Monty is called out for his privilege but not in a mean way. Percy is Black. Okay, technically he's biracial man born and raised in England but almost everyone assumes he's from Africa or that he is Monty's property. When Monty chastises Percy for not standing up himself when yet another person comments on his Blackness, Percy points out that he cannot afford to get away with the antics Monty regularly engages in. Likewise, when Monty complains about his planned future Felicity reminds him that at least he has choices while she has few. She would love to attend the school her brother got kicked out of, but because she is a woman finishing school is the only education Felicity's father will allow. At the same time Percy and Felicity don't dismiss Monty's complaints. They point out Monty's privileged life and status while still respecting and supporting his desire to live a different life than the one set out by his father. I love that.

Did I mention that the grand tour turns into a great adventure! Monty being Monty causes a bit of trouble at a party. Nudity and hijinks are involved. The bit of trouble leads to big trouble and even bigger adventures. The traveling companions have to hold their own against highwayman and robbers while also dealing with matters of the heart. Their adventures lead them to Barcelona, Venice, and the high seas. If you like a bit of adventure this is well worth the read.

Work for It by Talia Hibbert

People advise against judging a book by its cover but I bought Work For It largely because of its beautiful cover. Luckily, the words in between the covers are just as good.

Work For It is the fourth in a series. I haven't read the first four (but plan to) but from what I gathered circumstances in prior books have left Olu in a pool of depression he is trying desperately to escape. His solution is a change of scenery. He leaves London to go work on a farm for fun for a few weeks. (Not exactly my idea of a vacation, but it works for Olu so maybe should I try it.) In a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business, Olu meets Griff, who as it happens, runs the farm.

For reasons I didn't quite understand, Griff is something of an outcast in the small town he lives in. He is described as being quite tall and big, so perhaps he is intimidating, but he is also kind, quiet, and very good at his job working on a farm. In any case, Griff is sadly used to being rejected. That doesn't mean it doesn't sting each time and Olu's rejection is particularly hurtful. Still there is an attraction between the two men that neither can deny. Depression and insecurity get in the way but Hibbert *always* writes happy endings and love prevails.

I quite enjoyed this. This is the third book I've read by Talia Hibbert in two months. Like the first two, Work For It is equal parts sweet and steamy. Hibbert is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

  Graceling is a young adult fantasy with a bit of romance. In the world author Kristin Cashore has created there are seven kingdom with seven kings. Some people in this world are "graced" with a special gift or ability. For instance a person might be a gifted cook or swimmer. Katsa, a young girl from the Middluns kingdom, is graced with fighting skill (or so she has been told).

What a treat this was to read! There were so many things I loved about this book, the first being Katsa. Katsa is a machine. When she fights, nothing seems to be able to stop her, not even an army. But I didn't just like her because she was a physically strong female character. I liked her because she knew who she was and what she wanted. She doesn't want to get married or have children. She doesn't want to be someone's puppet. She wants control over her own life and she fights to make it so. She is strong willed and a sense of right and wrong that she comes to on her own.

I also loved Prince Po, the man who brings changes to Katsa life (but does not change her). Like Katsa, Po is a gifted fighter but he is no match for Katsa. He readily admits this without any ego. I'm still thinking this through but one thought I had while reading this book was that in some ways Katsa and Po have switched the usual gender roles. Katsa is the bold, strong fighter, while Po is the one who is emotionally intelligent, able to sense people thoughts and feelings and acting accordingly.

I also enjoyed the different portrayals of power. There are seven kings but only three really factor into the story. One king is what I think of as the gangster king. For years he compelled Katsa to be his muscle, sending her to maim or kill people who owed him money or who otherwise disobeyed or disrespected him in some way. Then there is the mad king who physically and mentally abuses his people. Finally there is a king who "looked at his people, instead of over their heads." This king might never consider doing any kind of manual labor, but he could have a sincere conversation with a manual laborer about that person's work and his or her dreams and aspirations.

I was visiting a friend and she thrusts this book in my hands, insisting I read it. I'm so glad she did.

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole

Naledi Smith is a young woman juggling graduate school and multiple jobs in New York City. After being shuffled from home to home as a foster kid Naledi, or Ledi for short, is as used to being self-sufficient and as she is to being disappointed. She doesn't remember much about the parents who died when she was four, and she doesn't care to. Ledi is focused on the future and on becoming an epidemiologist. She certainly doesn't have time for the silly emails she keeps getting from someone pretending to be an African prince.

It is time for Prince Thabiso to start thinking about marriage. As children Ledi and Prince Thabiso were promised to one another, but then Ledi's parents took their young daughter and fled the country. It's been twenty years of so since they've seen each other but Thabiso has never stopped hoping he would see young Ledi again. Finally he finds her in New York. He's all set to reclaim his bride when Ledi mistakes him for Jamal, the new waiter that was supposed to start work at the cafeteria where Ledi works. Thabiso decides to play along for the moment. But then one moment leads to another and soon Ledi and "Jamal" are falling for each other. But of course, such a lie cannot last. How will Ledi react when she discovers Jamal's true identity and her own?

First all, thank you Alyssa Cole for giving me something I didn't even know I needed - a Black princess story. I've grown up reading and watching stories about princes from made-up European countries finding their princesses (who are blond more often than not) among the commoners. It's a classic trope and I love it. For the first time, I got a story about a Black prince from a fictional African country finding his princess. It was amazing and strangely I felt validated even though the story is obviously fictional.

What exactly did I love? First, the characters, especially Naledi. She is a fully fleshed out character who was believable as a real person. I always like when romance heroines have more going on in their lives besides looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend. Naledi has plenty going on. She's a former foster kid with attachment issues. She's a poor graduate student juggling her studies with a lab assistant job and a server job so she can afford to pay rent on her studio apartment. She's a Black woman in science who has to deal with a White male boss who mistakes her for the maid, mansplains scientific concepts to her that she already knows, and who gives her grunt work while giving her male colleague the opportunity to do actual science. She keeps two mice as pets and has best friend named Portia who can be sweet but who can also fail to understand how hard Ledi's life can be at times

While not as captivating as Ledi (but really who could be), I also loved Prince Thabiso. He is the typical prince in a romance story. That is, he has grown up knowing that one day we will responsible for the kingdom. Though he cares about his people and genuinely wants to do the best he can for them, he is also a man who has grown up with people serving his nearly every need. He is not used to be told no or having people truly question him.

The only thing I would have changed about this book, what I wanted more of, was the kingdom of Thesolo. Ledi eventually travels to Thesolo to learn more about the country where she is born. We get glimpses of the culture but not enough. I wanted to know more about the different regions of the country. (There is a mountainous region but what else?) I wanted to know more the religion which seems to be female based. (They pray to a goddess). The country has innovative technology in some parts (heated sidewalks that melt the snow which is then recycled) but in other parts the characters had to travel by donkey. I have so many questions. Most of the story takes place in New York but despite its name, New York isn't new. Tell me more about Thesolo.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if this were turned into a movie? Movie gods, please make this happen ASAP!

Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

  Sinner is a companion to Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. I say companion because it really has little to do with that trilogy other than that the two main characters in Sinner were first introduced in the trilogy. I really liked the original trilogy, which consisted of Shiver, Linger, and Forever. It has been awhile since I read the trilogy but what lingers is the romance between Sam and Grace, two lonely kids who meet and start building a life and a family together. Notwithstanding his surrogate father, Sam was more or less an orphan. Grace had two parents and they were not bad people but they were super in love with each other and with their work (they were artists) to the point that they kind of forget they were parents. This left Grace to more or less raise herself. All of that was set against this wolf problem. Sam turned into a wolf for half the year. Not a monster werewolf, just a regular wolf. Aside from the obvious problems of changing into another species, Grace and Sam's lives were made more complicated by people in town fearing the growing number of wolves in the nearby woods and wanting to kill them. The romance was compelling and the wolf part was interesting, making for an overall good story.

Sinner moves the story from Minnesota where Sam and Grace remain, to California. Isabel and her family moved to California following the death of her brother. His demise has torn them apart. As the story begins Isabel and her mother are in Los Angeles while her father is in San Diego. Enter Cole St. Clair.

Cole St. Clair was a rock star who was always looking for a way out of his life. Drugs didn't work. He thought becoming a wolf might. Fast forward a year or so, Cole leaves Minnesota for California in part to record a new album and in part to see if there is anything left between him and Isabel. Cole is hyperactive, not sure about how to be happy or how to balance being rock star Cole with being regular person Cole. The only thing he is sure of is that he loves making music and he loves Isabel.The wolf thing doesn't make much of an appearance in this book. It is little more than an alternative means of escape. He used to do drugs, now he can change into a wolf but of course the idea is that he has to learn to live without doing either.

I didn't not like this book, but it also wasn't quite what I expected and for that reason I was disappointed. Isabel is an ice queen, permanently pissed off about something, sometimes justifiably so but more often her anger felt misplaced and pointless. She's smart, has plans for life, and the means to make those plans happen. She struck me as the type of person who always thinks she understands the world better than absolutely everyone else. Even when she is right it was irritating, and she wasn't always right.

Cole and Isabel fight. Then they make up. Then they fight some more. Unlike Sam and Grace, I doubt this romance will stick with me. Like I said, I didn't not like this but I didn't love it either. Sinner is not a must read. If anything, read the original The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.

Big Rock by Lauren Blakely

  Big Rock was so much fun, so hot, and so funny. Spencer is rich, smart, nice, and shall we say gifted. He is a total playboy but the women he dates seem to know and appreciate what they're getting with him. Spencer also comes from a good family with parents who adore him, his sister, and each other. Spencer's parents are so in love with each other all his father wants to do is sell the family jewelry business and retire early so he can sail around the world with his wife. Luckily Spencer's father has a buyer all lined up. He just needs Spencer and his sex life to stay out of the gossip pages for a week because the potential buyer is conservative and wants to buy a wholesome family company. Spencer not only agrees to keep it zipped up for a week, he raises things up a notch and asks his best friend Charlotte to pretend to be his fiancee. She agrees with a condition of her own. Spencer and Charlotte agree to a few ground rules, one being no falling in love. Despite their best intentions it doesn't take long before Spencer and Charlotte's fake engagement starts to feel real.

A heterosexual romance from a guy's point of view - that's not something I come across everyday. Big Rock was pretty near perfect. It was funny, steamy hot, succinct, and had likeable characters. There was no unnecessary filler, not much in the way of artificial obstacles - just two people falling in love. And I fell a little in love with this story.

The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Passion continues Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series about a group of immortal warriors, each of whom holds a demon inside of him or her. If the lord is killed his or her demon would be released into the world. And so, the lords must protect themselves not only because they want to live but to prevent their demons from wreaking havoc in the world. The hunters don't see it that way. They blame the lords for everything bad that is happened and believe killing the lords will fix all the problems of the world.

Every book in this series has at least two main plot lines: (1) the particular lonely lord at the center of the book who will soon be lonely no more and (2) and the ongoing battle between the loads and the hunters. In The Darkest Passion Aeron, the keeper of wrath, is the lucky lord who finds love.

Early in the book Aeron and fellow lord Paris (keeper of promiscuity) are debating the merits of relationships. Paris whose demon forces him to bed a different woman (and the occasional man) every night or lose his strength, longs for a relationship. One woman in particular has caught his eye but that's a story for a different book. Aeron doesn't see the point of relationships. They are immortal after all, and a relationship with a human woman means watching her get older and eventually die as he continues to exist. It also means worrying about someone and given the lifestyle of the lords, namely that they continually find themselves in bloody battles with the hunters, having someone else to worry about holds no appeal for him. No Aeron, is content with his brothers and Legion, the little demon he loves like a daughter. Enter Olivia, the fallen Angel.

Olivia's first job as an angel was to bring joy to people who needed it. Then she got promoted to warrior status and was given the task of killing Aeron. She follows him, or rather stalks him, and simply cannot bring herself to kill the heavily tattooed warrior. So she gives up her wings for the chance to be with Aeron. Unfortunately, Aeron is not at all interested in her and Legion can't stand her. Guess how long that lasts.

These books are always fun. The men are always resistant, the women very insistent and at the end there's a love match. Olivia is naive and pure love. She's eager to dive into Aeron's arms and his bed. Everything is new to her. As an angel her life was perfection. She knew neither the joy nor the agony of longing for something or someone for she had all she needed to be content. Something about Aeron changed that. Aeron doesn't quite know what to make of her. He literally has a demon inside him and has done terrible things, that an angel would want him so ardently makes no sense to him. Complicating everything is Legion. Aeron always thought of her as a little girl but she doesn't think of herself that way. The guy who wanted no attachments suddenly has two women to deal with.

I liked this but admit I didn't fully buy in to Olivia and Aeron's relationship. He's wrath - a demon who revels in punishing people for their sins. She is an angel. I get how all the lords are secretly super lovable despite their demons but I wish there was little more about what attracted Olivia to Aeron in the first place. That would have made the love story come alive for me.

The side characters helped redeem the not entirely satisfying romance plot. William always makes me laugh. I'm not sure if there will be a book about him since technically he is not one of the lords but I would love to get his story. Gideon, keeper of lies, and the wife he can't remember - can't wait to read that story.

Sugar by Seressia Glass

  Sugar is the second in what I'm guessing will be at least a four book series by Seressia Glass (the first book being Spice). Siobhan "Sugar" Malloy is a thirty-five year-old co-owner of the Sugar and Spice Cafe, a part-time burlesque dancer, and a recovering addict. She's doing mostly okay with five years of sobriety, a group of supportive friends, and a successful business. All that's missing is a love interest. Enter Charlie O'Halloran.

The moment Charlie lays eyes on Siobhan he's hooked. With her rockabilly style and vintage clothes accentuating her curves in just the right way, how could he not? The two begin a steamy affair. Feelings come into play quickly and easily. The trouble is both of them have secrets holding them back from a happily ever after.

I liked Sugar a lot, maybe even more than Spice. Siobhan and Charlie have serious issues in their pasts and in their present to deal with and those issues are not solved easily or quickly. I also like that Siobhan is a woman with a past and experience, some good and bad. On the back of the book it says that Sugar is for mature audiences. I would agree, not just because of the sexy times between Siobhan but because it is they are both mature adults dealing with adult problems.

Spice by Seressia Glass

Spice is a contemporary adult romance. Nadia Spiceland is a bakery owner, former reality TV star, and a recovering accident. She's been sober and celibate for four years and is looking to change one of those things. She doesn't want a relationship, just a man who knows what he's doing. Enter Kaname "Kane" Sullivan a professor at the local college who teaches human sexuality. In addition to teaching, Kane is a police consultant and an author of several well regarded nonfiction books. The seriousness of his academic pursuits has not stopped Kane's students from giving him the nickname Professor Sex. Fortunately for Nadia Professor Sex is exactly what she is looking for. 

There are so many things to like about Spice. It is effortlessly inclusive and diverse - Kane is half-Japanese and Nadia is the daughter of two men who are very much in love. Nadia and all of her friends are recovering addicts and that isn't taken lightly. Kane and Nadia act like the adults they are, meaning among other things they discuss things like sharing medical records, something I don't see in too many books (or movies). Above all, there is quite a bit of steam in this romance. Another thing I appreciated about Spice was that the story starts right away. Nadia wants to explore her sexuality and so she does, simple as that. Things begin to get complicated when one of them starts wanting more out of the relationship.

Overall I really enjoyed reading Spice. It did drag a tiny bit in some spots and there was some unnecessary conflict, but overall it was well worth the read. I have already bought the next book in the series.

Losing It & Finding It Novellas

Keeping Her is a companion story to Cora Carmack's Losing It, a book I read awhile ago. I remember liking it enough but don't remember any of the specifics beyond the premise: a college senior decides it's time to lose her virginity. She meets some guy in a bar. They have sex. The next morning she goes to class and her new professor is the guy from the bar. It's a romance so there are a bunch of obstacles but eventually Bliss, the virgin, and Garrick, the bar guy, fall in love. They get engaged. Keeping Her has Bliss and Garrick off to London to meet Garrick's parents.

I must have liked Losing It because it is the first in a series and I finished the series, but I didn't like this, at least not the first two-thirds. I get being nervous about meeting the in-laws but Bliss is so insecure and whiny she comes off more as a child than an adult who is about to take marriage vows. It is only when she grows a backbone and stands up for herself, or really for Garrick that she becomes bearable. The rest of the time she's a mess.

Seeking Her was less annoying but completely unnecessary. It is a prequel to Finding It, the third book in the Losing It series. In Finding It former marine Jackson Hunt is hired by Kelsey's father to follow Kelsey around and keep her safe and she parties her through Europe after graduating from college. Seeking Her is Jackson's story as he follows Kelsey around watching her get drunk and hook up with random guys. It wasn't terrible but it also wasn't much of a story on its own.

Overall I enjoyed the books in the original series - Losing It, Faking It and Finding It -  these two novellas not so much.

Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren

  Wicked Sexy Liar is the fourth book in the Wild Seasons series by Christina Lauren (the pen name for writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings). The series started with three friends - Mia, Harlow, and Lola - who met and married three guys - Ansel, Finn, and Oliver - one drunken night in Las Vegas. Now that the three friends and their boyfriend (for one) and husbands (for the other two) are settled, Wicked Sexy Liar tells the story of Lola's roommate London and her romantic adventures with Luke.

London spends her days surfing and her nights tending bar. She's friends with Mia, Harlow, and Lola but not part of their tight inner circle. (Mia, Harlow and Lola grew up together). London is fine with that and with her life in general. Sure someday she would like to get paid to do what she actually went to college for (web design), but for now London is doing fine. She is also fine with being single. Still reeling from being cheated on by her longtime now ex-boyfriend, London keeps people, especially men, at a distance. Then of all the bars, Luke has to walk into hers.

Luke is a sweet guy whose best friend is his older sister. His main flaw is that he has a habit of bedding anything female on two legs. London usually doesn't date (or go home with) customers but she has an itch that needs scratching and Luke is just cute and funny enough for her to make an exception.What was supposed to be a one night stand quickly turns into something more and neither Luke nor London are quite prepared. To make things even more complicated, it turns out Luke knows Harlow, Lola, and especially Mia from way back.

I don't have much to say about Wicked Sexy Liar except that it was another sweet and sexy read from Christina Lauren. Luke and London have instant chemistry but have to work through their respective pasts and change some of their present behaviors and modes of thinking before they can figure out their future together. I enjoyed this book but this being the fourth book in this series, things are starting to feel a little repetitive. It may be time to try something different like Christina Lauren's Beautiful Bastard series.

Begging For It by Lilah Pace

 Begging For It continues Vivienne and Jonah's story, which began in Asking For It. The two were initially drawn together by their mutual interest in role playing forceful, violent sexual fantasies. In the beginning they wanted to know as little as possible about each other to make the role playing seem more realistic. But eventually emotions developed, and now Vivienne and Jonah are more than just strangers with benefits. They are making a go of it as a couple.

Complications arise. Vivienne and Jonah reveal their past tragedies to one another and Jonah has a difficult time being with Vivienne when he learns her story. Things get even more difficult when what was a fantasy becomes reality when a real rapist starts terrorizing the city of Austin. An ex-girlfriend with whom Jonah shared his fantasies suggests that the the police add him to their suspect list. Jonah's stepfather uses the scandal to try to take control of the family fortune. With trouble swirling around him, Jonah pulls away from Vivienne with the idea that he is "protecting" her.

One of the things I like most about this book and its predecessor is how concepts like agency, consent, and freedom of choice are handled. There is a point when Jonah insists that they give up their fantasies because he worries that they are harmful to Vivienne. She bristles at his protection, telling him that it is like he stopped seeing her and now only sees (and treats) her as a victim. She tells him,

"But what I've had with you is the one honest sexual relationship of my entire life, and if giving up that honesty is the price of getting you back, it's too high." (page 30)

But it isn't all about Vivienne and her feelings. When the situation with his stepfather presses his emotional buttons and Jonah decides he can no longer handle the dark places he goes to during their role play. Vivienne is unhappy with his decision but her therapist Doreen reminds Vivienne that Jonah has the right to say no too. Jonah gets to have his limits.

I really liked this short series and would recommend them, with the caveat to those with trigger concerns. It was eye opening and unlike anything I've read before. I wonder what Lilah Pace will come up with next.

Asking For It by Lilah Pace

  A year or so ago I stumbled across a blog called Romance Novels for Feminists. It has since become one of my favorite blogs in part because it has introduced me to many books that might have otherwise not made their way onto my radar, but mostly because it takes a critical and analytical approach to books in a way that I haven't encountered much outside of college. The fact that this critical and analytical gaze is applied to books that fall into the romance category is even more interesting, and frankly, refreshing. Romance Novels for Feminists takes the genre seriously. It was through this blog that I came across Asking For It by Lilah Pace (a pseudonym for New York Times bestselling author, I so want to know who!).

Asking For It is unlike anything I have ever read before it. Vivienne can only reach climax by fantasizing about being raped. Jonah has fantasies about forcing women to submit to him. These two find each other and engage in consensual, sexual role playing in which he forces himself on her over her objections. Despite how it sounds, this isn't titillating simply for the sake of arousal. Vivienne and Jonah are both working out their issues and they are both aware of that.

Vivienne and Jonah's relationship is one of consent, care, passion, and compassion. It is clear when a scene begins and when it ends. Vivienne has a safe word that Jonah respects. They establish rules and limits and discuss medical histories before any sex takes place. When a scene is over Jonah makes sure Vivienne is okay physically and emotionally. Besides fulfilling each other's sexual fantasies, Vivienne and Jonah give each other the opportunity be who they really are not only without judgment, but with compassion. We don't get too much of Jonah's story here but as for Vivienne, she gets to enjoy her sexuality for the first time without pretending or being made to feel about bad about voicing and getting what she wants.

Vivienne has always been ashamed and embarrassed by her fantasies. Jonah helps Vivienne in a way that years of therapy have not - he offers to fulfill her fantasies and he does so without judgment. Of course, her therapist has told Vivienne repeatedly that being forced is a common fantasy and that is okay to fantasize about whatever. But until she meets Jonah, she is skeptical. Vivienne shared her fantasy with a boyfriend once before and he refused. (Vivienne's therapist reminds her that her ex-boyfriend is entitled to have limits too.) 

In the beginning Vivienne and Jonah agree to remain strangers as much as possible to make their role playing seem more real. That can't last of course. Jonah and Vivienne provide each other with a safe place to explore. They are intimate and honest with each other in a way that they haven't been able to be with anyone else. What starts out as semi-anonymous sex develops into something deeper. This is a romance, after all. Still, it does not have the classic happily ever after. Well not exactly, but it does leave room for potential. Perhaps that is how the sequel Begging For It ends? I can't wait to find out.

Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren

  The Wild Seasons series has been an unexpected delight. It started with Sweet Filthy Boy in which three girl friends - Mia, Harlow, and Lola - went to Vegas to celebrate their college graduation and met three sexy guys Ansel (the Frenchman), Finn (the Canadian), and Oliver (the Australian). After a night of drinking and sexy times, the six singles wake up as three married couples. Harlow and Finn and Lola and Oliver quickly get their Vegas marriages annulled. Ansel refuses to give Mia a quickie divorce, insisting they talk about it first. By the end of Sweet Filthy Boy they're happily in love and still married. (This is a romance series so the ending shouldn't be much of a surprise.) Harlow and Finn work out their issues in Dirty Rowdy Thing. Finally in Dark Wild Night we get to Lola and Oliver.

Lola and Oliver seemed like a perfect match from the get go. She writes and draws graphic novels. As the first book in the series opens, he is about to open a comic book store. However good they seem on paper, of the three couples, Lola and Oliver are the only two who didn't spend their night Vegas getting hot and sweaty in a hotel room. Instead they spent the entire evening walking and talking. Back in San Diego (where the three girls are from), Lola and Oliver have become the best of friends. They each secretly want more but for reasons of his and her own, keep things in the friend zone.

In the time since their Vegas marriage, Oliver's and Lola's careers have taken off. Oliver's new business is doing great. Lola's first graphic novel has become a bestseller and is being made into a movie, plus she has a contract for two more books. Perhaps it is her career success that gives Lola the courage to test things out with Oliver. It starts of well but as Lola begins to move forward with Oliver she begins to unravel a bit with her work, which causes her to question herself and her ability to handle all the new changes in her life.

Of the three books in the series, Dark Wild Night might be my favorite. It was steamy hot and full of romance. Lola is a great character. I found her problems in trying to balance work with her social life very  relatable, along with her struggles in protecting her creative vision when it came to her work. My one complaint is that there wasn't enough about Oliver's background. In the prior two books, we learn a great deal about the female characters' childhoods and family lives, as well as that of their new boyfriends/husbands. In this one, all that is revealed about Oliver is that he's from Australia and was raised by his grandparents. Oliver was kind of the perfect boyfriend - understanding, patient, and giving - but it was never quite clear how he got to be that way. Given the pattern of the first two books I was expecting to learn more about who raised him and why he moved to San Diego.

This series started as a trilogy but I have recently learned there will be a fourth book. Can't wait!

Three Nights With a Rock Star by Amber Lin & Shari Slade

  Earlier this year I read One Kiss With a Rock Star, which among other things, touched on how male and female bisexuality are often treated differently (female bisexuality okay, male bisexuality not so much). That book was actually the second in a series. Ordinarily I like to read things in order but decided to make an exception. Several months later I finally got around to reading the first book in the Half-Life series, Three Night With a Rock Star. In hindsight, it is probably a good thing I read the second book first or else I might not ever gotten to the second book, for Three Nights With a Rock Star is as steamy as it is ridiculous.

Here's the plot in a nutshell: Nineteen-year-old Chloe got a job selling merchandise for the rock band Half-Life as it crisscrosses the country on tour. Chloe leaves the tour and comes home pregnant. She refuses to identify the baby's father, telling her big sister Hailey that he's in a weird place in his life and not ready to be a father.

It's only been Hailey and Chloe for a long time. Their mother, who may have been a prostitute, disappeared a long time ago and neither of them ever knew their fathers. Having grown up as the daughter of the town trollop, Hailey is determined from having her future niece or nephew suffer the same fate. She simply cannot stand by and let her baby sister live with the shame of being an unwed mother. So church going, kindergarten teacher Hailey heads to the hotel where the band is staying, determined to find her sister's baby daddy and force him to do right by Chloe and take responsibility for his actions. Soon after getting to the hotel she meets Half-Life's lead singer, Lock. Within in minutes of meeting the sexy lead singer, Hailey signs a contract agreeing to be his sex slave for three days in exchange for having full access to his band and crew so she can find the no-good guy who impregnated her sister. Hailey and Lock have mind blowing sex. Then there are complications. Eventually they fall in love and everyone ends up coupled and lives happily ever after. I'll give it this, Three Nights With a Rock Star may be complete and utter nonsense, but it is steamy hot nonsense.

Sweet Thing by Renée Carlino

Sweet Thing is a complicated romance between a man who knows what he wants and a woman who doesn't, at least not at first. After her musician father dies, Mia moves to New York to take over her father's cafe and apartment. She meets Will, a promising singer/songwriter/guitarist, on the plane. The two of them hit it off instantly and quickly become friends and then roommates. There's a deep connection between Will and Mia from the get go, the kind of connection that leads to a life long friendship or maybe something more.

Will falls for Mia pretty quickly, desperately hoping their friendship evolves into a romance. Mia is less sure. Of course she is attracted to the handsome, charming, sensitive soul that is Will, but she isn't quite ready for a Will in her life and it shows, sometimes painfully. The first three-fourths of the novel can be summed up as follows: Mia and Will are friends. Mia and Will get a little closer. Mia freaks out and is cruel to Will, insulting him and pushing him away. All of their friends more or less side with Will, while trying to help Mia deal with her issues. Mia realizes the error of her ways and apologizes. She and Will resume their friendship, and the whole cycle starts again, rinse and repeat.

Truthfully, Will isn't the only thing Mia is unsure about. She is a 25-year-old classically trained pianist with a business degree from Brown. She hasn't really done much with her life since college. To be fair, Mia has a lot going on when she meets Will. She has just moved from Michigan to New York. She is mourning the loss of her recently deceased father while taking on the responsibility of running the business her father started. She is caring for her 13-year-old dog that is slowly dying. As if that were not enough, Mia discovers some long held secrets about her family and the circumstances surrounding her birth. Who can blame her not being willing or able to jump into a serious relationship with Will, even if he is a great guy?

If there was anything I would change about this story it would be for there to be more compassion for Mia. Will was great and Mia was often not so great. But in her defense, she was also 25 and dealing with the loss of a parent. Will was nearing 30 and at a point in his life when he was starting to think about settling down. Sometimes timing really is everything. Their friends could have been a tiny bit more compassionate about Mia's uncertainty under the circumstances. 

There was also one strange thing about this book - the prologue and epilogue. Both are from the point of review of a random woman Mia meets at the airport. The middle aged mother of two sees Mia and thinks about what she was like at Mia's age and the difficulties Mia will inevitably face as she grows older. Then this random woman appears again towards the end of the book and I wasn't sure why. It didn't really add anything to the story. I suppose the prologue and epilogue could be interpreted as a glimpse of Mia's life fifteen years in the future, but that wasn't at all needed. It was a little too on the nose. It would have been better to have left that out and left the audience guessing at Will and Mia's relationship would evolve.

Notwithstanding the unnecessary prologue and epilogue, I enjoyed Sweet Thing. The characters, Mia in particular, changed and grew emotionally throughout the course of the novel. The payoff was well worth it.

Junk by Josephine Myles

  Junk by Josephine Myles is a sweet M/M romance between a hoarder and the decluttering expert that comes to help. Jasper is a librarian who simply can't bear to let any piece of paper with words on it go into the trash bin without thinking about the potential information that may be lost to civilization. Any book or newspaper the library or a student (Jasper works at an academic library) wants to throw away is rescued from the trash bin by Jasper and taken home. His house becomes so overwhelmed with books and papers that there are whole rooms he no longer is able to enter. Luckily Jasper isn't so far gone that he can't see that he needs help. Knowing that he can't do it on his own, Jasper seeks professional help. That helps takes the shape of twin brother and sister, Lewis and Carroll (their mother is a serious Alice in Wonderland fan). Carroll may be bright and bubbly but it is Lewis that Jasper is immediately drawn to.

As a librarian and book collector myself (no books are cutting off access to any part of my home, thank you very much), Jasper's tendency to want to protect and preserve the written word was understandable. Obviously he had taken this a little too far. I've never been particularly interested in watching any of the reality shows about hoarding but it was interesting to see how Lewis and Carroll worked with Jasper and their other clients in helping them confront the various emotional issues that led to hoarding in the first place.

As for the romance, it was sweet if somewhat anti-climatic. That Jasper and Lewis would get together was never a question. In a romance, it is the journey that counts. Here the journey was both too quick and too drawn out. The two men have an immediate sexual attraction but Lewis has ethical concerns about getting involved with a client. So they do, but they don't, and then of course they do. Of the two lead characters, Jasper was the most intriguing, what with his hoarding and mother issues. Lewis didn't develop quite as much as I would have liked. He has issues with moving (and moving in) too fast in relationships and doesn't seem to have changed all that much by the end of the novel. Notwithstanding these quibbles, overall I enjoyed Junk. The hoarding angle was a new to me and it seemed to be handled well. This is the first book I've read by Myles and I look forward to finding what else she has written.