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The Star (Charleston Condors #1)
8.0
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Tight end Landry Banks knows the score when he signs with the Charleston Condors in a rebuilding...
Contemporary MM Sports Romance Best Friend's Little Brother Bisexual Awakening
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated God's Easter Miracles: Adventures Of The Sea Kids in Books
Sep 7, 2017
Sweet (1 more)
Teachable Lessons
This was nice and fresh read. It was also a good learning book for young readers. It shows the importance. What a lesson you can learn from the sea creatures. Something happens to one of their friend's little brother, will the little brother survive? I know it teaches about friendship and some Christian values.
Will it be that they get a miracle? You will need to read the book for it. The lesson in the book is best for though to learn about what Jesus did for us all. The sea kids have a special Easter hunt. What happens to all and if one shares his egg with another. What does that person do to do with that egg and show something that is sweet?
The author does a wonderful job of doing the lessons. I hope that your readers and parents can use this as a good way to input the story in focus. The pictures are down wonderfully. The pictures can tell the story. I can not state as to what all that happens for it would spoil the story and lesson learned. I love that it shows the meaning of love and what Easter is all about.
Will it be that they get a miracle? You will need to read the book for it. The lesson in the book is best for though to learn about what Jesus did for us all. The sea kids have a special Easter hunt. What happens to all and if one shares his egg with another. What does that person do to do with that egg and show something that is sweet?
The author does a wonderful job of doing the lessons. I hope that your readers and parents can use this as a good way to input the story in focus. The pictures are down wonderfully. The pictures can tell the story. I can not state as to what all that happens for it would spoil the story and lesson learned. I love that it shows the meaning of love and what Easter is all about.
Lindsay (1693 KP) rated God's Easter Miracles: Adventures Of The Sea Kids in Books
Aug 30, 2018 (Updated Apr 9, 2019)
This was nice and fresh read. It was also a good learning book for young readers. It shows the important. What a lesson you can learn from the sea creatures. Something happens to one of their friend's little brother, will the little brother survive? I know it teaches about friendship and some Christian values.
Will it be that they get a miracle? You will need to read the book for it. The lesson in the book is best for though to learn about what Jesus did for as all. The sea kids have a special Easter hunt. What happens to all and if one shares his egg with another. What does that person do to do with that egg and show something that is sweet?
The author does a wonderful job of doing the lessons. I hope that your readers and parents can use this as a good way to input the story in focus. The pictures are down wonderfully. The pictures can tell the story. I can not state as to what all that happens for it would spoil the story and lesson learned. I love that it show the meaning of love and what Easter is all about.
Will it be that they get a miracle? You will need to read the book for it. The lesson in the book is best for though to learn about what Jesus did for as all. The sea kids have a special Easter hunt. What happens to all and if one shares his egg with another. What does that person do to do with that egg and show something that is sweet?
The author does a wonderful job of doing the lessons. I hope that your readers and parents can use this as a good way to input the story in focus. The pictures are down wonderfully. The pictures can tell the story. I can not state as to what all that happens for it would spoil the story and lesson learned. I love that it show the meaning of love and what Easter is all about.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2057 KP) rated Murder with Ganache (Key West Food Critic Mystery, #4) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Hayley's family is coming to town for her best friend's wedding, but things get off to a rocky start with her teenage step-brother. When he goes off to explore on his own and disappears, the family begins to panic. Will they find him? What might he have gotten into?
This was my introduction to the series, and I'm regretting that. I really enjoyed this book. The plot was great and completely pulled me in. While the characters could have been a little better introduced to those of us who don't know the series, I didn't have too much of a hard time getting them all figured out. The ending could have been a little smoother, but everything was explained by the end. I'm going to have to go back and read the earlier books in the series.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-murder-with-ganache-by-lucy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
This was my introduction to the series, and I'm regretting that. I really enjoyed this book. The plot was great and completely pulled me in. While the characters could have been a little better introduced to those of us who don't know the series, I didn't have too much of a hard time getting them all figured out. The ending could have been a little smoother, but everything was explained by the end. I'm going to have to go back and read the earlier books in the series.
NOTE: I was sent an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2014/01/book-review-murder-with-ganache-by-lucy.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Stronger Than Longing (Chesapeake Days #3)
9.0
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Return to small-town Chesapeake and fall in love with the single-dad bad boy who keeps breaking...
Contemporary MM Romance
Debbiereadsbook (1056 KP) rated Songs of Red Current Wine (Colors of Love #6) in Books
Mar 29, 2021
Because of Carl, this becomes a much darker read than the others, but Ms Locey nails it here.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
This is book 6 in the Colors Of Love series (you have NO idea, how many times I typed the spelling of Colors!) But you do not have to read the others. Books one and 4 were 5 star reads, from me, and 2 and 3 were 4 stars. I missed book 5!
This is, I thought, a much darker read than all the others, and I read this book in one sitting, 200 odd pages before 8am!
As with the other books, only one of the two main characters have a say, and Carl's voice is powerful. Damaged and broken, but powerful nonetheless. His strong, but often depressive voice makes up for the lack that Tigh doesn't have a say.
Going home for his best friend's funeral would have caused many pain, but for Carl it pushes him over the edge, and into a faster path of self destruction. Only Tigh's strength and help helps Carl pull himself out of that pit of despair, along with a couple of surprising people who I didn't think would help him.
Tigh is Carl's best friend's younger brother, a LOT younger than Carl, but it's not thrown about too much. I liked that it pops up at key points, but only really when it's needed.
Carl's self destruction is painful reading, it really is. You can see it happening right in front of you, and you can't stop it. He was already on a downward spiral when we meet him, but Mike's death was the straw, really.
Because of Carl, this becomes a much darker read than the others, but Ms Locey nails it here. It's very difficult reading, but also, you get sucked in so bad because you want to see how Carl pulls out of it, you NEED to see how this plays out with Tigh and before you know it, you've ran out of tears, of cheers and of pages.
And Arn pops up, I love him! Love the little digs he makes about his clients, who are the subjects of the previous books. That made me laugh. But Arn is sad, and I don't want him to be. Will he get a book?? I hope so.
Trigger warnings for alcohol abuse (Carl) and PTSD recovery (Tigh)
5 amazing stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 6 in the Colors Of Love series (you have NO idea, how many times I typed the spelling of Colors!) But you do not have to read the others. Books one and 4 were 5 star reads, from me, and 2 and 3 were 4 stars. I missed book 5!
This is, I thought, a much darker read than all the others, and I read this book in one sitting, 200 odd pages before 8am!
As with the other books, only one of the two main characters have a say, and Carl's voice is powerful. Damaged and broken, but powerful nonetheless. His strong, but often depressive voice makes up for the lack that Tigh doesn't have a say.
Going home for his best friend's funeral would have caused many pain, but for Carl it pushes him over the edge, and into a faster path of self destruction. Only Tigh's strength and help helps Carl pull himself out of that pit of despair, along with a couple of surprising people who I didn't think would help him.
Tigh is Carl's best friend's younger brother, a LOT younger than Carl, but it's not thrown about too much. I liked that it pops up at key points, but only really when it's needed.
Carl's self destruction is painful reading, it really is. You can see it happening right in front of you, and you can't stop it. He was already on a downward spiral when we meet him, but Mike's death was the straw, really.
Because of Carl, this becomes a much darker read than the others, but Ms Locey nails it here. It's very difficult reading, but also, you get sucked in so bad because you want to see how Carl pulls out of it, you NEED to see how this plays out with Tigh and before you know it, you've ran out of tears, of cheers and of pages.
And Arn pops up, I love him! Love the little digs he makes about his clients, who are the subjects of the previous books. That made me laugh. But Arn is sad, and I don't want him to be. Will he get a book?? I hope so.
Trigger warnings for alcohol abuse (Carl) and PTSD recovery (Tigh)
5 amazing stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Midge (525 KP) rated The Paris Apartment (Love Nests, #1) in Books
Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 21, 2018)
Take a twenty-four-year-old beautiful virgin and a hot, hugely successful, hunky chap in a minimally furnished apartment in the centre of Paris, the most romantic city in the world and you've got an incredibly sexy and romantic read!
James Sinclair, a successful trader keeps his busy life uncomplicated. Work is about all he has time for. Imagine his surprise when he returns to his Paris apartment to find his little sister’s best friend, Mila Johnson, in his bed. One night of fooling around opens a Pandora’s box which Mila just wants to pry open wider, whereas James just wants to keep the lid on tight. Mila is sweet and innocent and no way is he going to expose her to the real James Sinclair. As his relationship status changes to complicated, James struggles to keep control over his past and his heart. Mila’s teenage fantasy is still larger than life, but James swings between hot and cold. Now that she has him between the sheets, Mila will do anything to keep him there.
Mila Johnson and James Sinclair haven't seen each other for more than twelve years, and when they accidentally meet up again, there is an intense attraction between the two of them. Mila has escaped her narrow-minded parents and limiting family life for two weeks of freedom in Paris, ready to explore the exciting and vibrant City. Then James turns up, her best friend's older brother crush, sexy, broody, full of dark secrets and a man of the world...
Right from the start, this is a phenomenally sexy and incredibly exciting read, with beautifully descriptive love scenes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
"His heart was jolting, his pulse irregular as his eyes glimmered at her, taking in her beautiful face, the even complexion of her untainted skin, her eyes big and wide, accentuated by the dark-rimmed glasses that she wore. Those eyes were something else, and the way she looked at him he wanted to tug off her glasses, lean over the table and kiss her lips. Mark her."
But all is not rosy as there are dark moments and plenty of sordid secrets, too. I enjoyed every moment of The Paris Apartment.
This romance by Sophia Karlson makes for an easy, escapist and thrilling read.
Many thanks to Backlit PR and Netgalley for this ARC.
James Sinclair, a successful trader keeps his busy life uncomplicated. Work is about all he has time for. Imagine his surprise when he returns to his Paris apartment to find his little sister’s best friend, Mila Johnson, in his bed. One night of fooling around opens a Pandora’s box which Mila just wants to pry open wider, whereas James just wants to keep the lid on tight. Mila is sweet and innocent and no way is he going to expose her to the real James Sinclair. As his relationship status changes to complicated, James struggles to keep control over his past and his heart. Mila’s teenage fantasy is still larger than life, but James swings between hot and cold. Now that she has him between the sheets, Mila will do anything to keep him there.
Mila Johnson and James Sinclair haven't seen each other for more than twelve years, and when they accidentally meet up again, there is an intense attraction between the two of them. Mila has escaped her narrow-minded parents and limiting family life for two weeks of freedom in Paris, ready to explore the exciting and vibrant City. Then James turns up, her best friend's older brother crush, sexy, broody, full of dark secrets and a man of the world...
Right from the start, this is a phenomenally sexy and incredibly exciting read, with beautifully descriptive love scenes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
"His heart was jolting, his pulse irregular as his eyes glimmered at her, taking in her beautiful face, the even complexion of her untainted skin, her eyes big and wide, accentuated by the dark-rimmed glasses that she wore. Those eyes were something else, and the way she looked at him he wanted to tug off her glasses, lean over the table and kiss her lips. Mark her."
But all is not rosy as there are dark moments and plenty of sordid secrets, too. I enjoyed every moment of The Paris Apartment.
This romance by Sophia Karlson makes for an easy, escapist and thrilling read.
Many thanks to Backlit PR and Netgalley for this ARC.
Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Vivian's List (The List, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
*I received this books as an ARC in an exchange for an honest review*
I was completely taken aback by this book in the best way possible! I didn't really know what to expect; but I knew that if it was anything like the cover of this book I was going to be in for a treat. We are first introduced to Vivian who is a very beautiful girl, but she's very emotionally shut off. Her parents died when her and her brother were teens and as a result she hasn't had much love in her life since. Viv's brother Julian is an active member of the military and is not actually in this book expect for in mention (would love to get to know him better in a future installment... hint hint nudge nudge). Viv seems to have attracted a complete loser Brody! He doesn't physically abuse Viv, but he's broken her spirit in almost any way imaginable. Enter Liam. Liam rides in like a knight in shining armor to save Vivian his best friend's little sister. SWOON! Liam is staying with Vivian while is he is on shore leave and that's where things get really interesting.
<blockquote><b>"Now I found myself wishing I could carry her away from the real wolf - the wolf disguised as her boyfriend."</blockquote></b>
Brody always hates the way Vivian dresses, he says it makes her look like a slut, and he's always accusing her of sleeping with Liam even when she isn't. Inevitably he gets pissed and he drops Vivian at home after one of their mega fights which he's called Vivian "boring old vanilla" which leaves Vivian on a mission.
Liam plays an important role in showing Vivian that the way she is being treated is not okay. Liam's mother was treated poorly by his father and thus his experience. The scene between Viv and Liam where he is just pouring his heart out and explaining his mom's story is written so beautifully and so poignantly, that I almost felt like it was me coming to my senses.
<blockquote><b>"Not knowing you're abused is bad. But refusing to know it? Refusing to recognize it? That's far worse."
"Respect exists only on the basis of freedom, for love is the child of freedom, never that of domination." </blockquote></b>
Vivian grows to be a strong character and I love her journey of sexual discovery along the way She embarks on an adventure with Liam that I am completely swept up in. I loved their encounters, their approach to the whole deal, and I love the ending result. This book had me reading fervently wanting to know what was going to happen next. I laughed at parts of the book, and I cried at others. This book just resonated with me in such a way that I just can't describe.
<blockquote><b>"You don't have to be Mr. Right, I just need you to be Mr. Right Now." </blockquote></b>
The sex scenes were hot and steamy, and weren't written in the cheesy way that some sex scenes are written. The author doesn't describe things in a corny way and she uses real terms and real words to describe what is taking place. None of that fluffy, flowery, frilly sex talk. And of course there is the unexpressed love growing between characters. Its an amazing book!
<blockquote><b>"I kissed him back, matching him move for move, laying my wounded soul bare for him to see, to taste, to touch" </blockquote></b>
Haleigh Lovell has definitely found a fan in me. I can't wait until 2014 when the sequel "Liam's List" is released! I can't wait to hear more of their stories, and I can't wait to maybe meet Julian (again hint hint nudge nudge). This book gets 5 stars from me and is probably one of my best reads of 2013.
I was completely taken aback by this book in the best way possible! I didn't really know what to expect; but I knew that if it was anything like the cover of this book I was going to be in for a treat. We are first introduced to Vivian who is a very beautiful girl, but she's very emotionally shut off. Her parents died when her and her brother were teens and as a result she hasn't had much love in her life since. Viv's brother Julian is an active member of the military and is not actually in this book expect for in mention (would love to get to know him better in a future installment... hint hint nudge nudge). Viv seems to have attracted a complete loser Brody! He doesn't physically abuse Viv, but he's broken her spirit in almost any way imaginable. Enter Liam. Liam rides in like a knight in shining armor to save Vivian his best friend's little sister. SWOON! Liam is staying with Vivian while is he is on shore leave and that's where things get really interesting.
<blockquote><b>"Now I found myself wishing I could carry her away from the real wolf - the wolf disguised as her boyfriend."</blockquote></b>
Brody always hates the way Vivian dresses, he says it makes her look like a slut, and he's always accusing her of sleeping with Liam even when she isn't. Inevitably he gets pissed and he drops Vivian at home after one of their mega fights which he's called Vivian "boring old vanilla" which leaves Vivian on a mission.
Liam plays an important role in showing Vivian that the way she is being treated is not okay. Liam's mother was treated poorly by his father and thus his experience. The scene between Viv and Liam where he is just pouring his heart out and explaining his mom's story is written so beautifully and so poignantly, that I almost felt like it was me coming to my senses.
<blockquote><b>"Not knowing you're abused is bad. But refusing to know it? Refusing to recognize it? That's far worse."
"Respect exists only on the basis of freedom, for love is the child of freedom, never that of domination." </blockquote></b>
Vivian grows to be a strong character and I love her journey of sexual discovery along the way She embarks on an adventure with Liam that I am completely swept up in. I loved their encounters, their approach to the whole deal, and I love the ending result. This book had me reading fervently wanting to know what was going to happen next. I laughed at parts of the book, and I cried at others. This book just resonated with me in such a way that I just can't describe.
<blockquote><b>"You don't have to be Mr. Right, I just need you to be Mr. Right Now." </blockquote></b>
The sex scenes were hot and steamy, and weren't written in the cheesy way that some sex scenes are written. The author doesn't describe things in a corny way and she uses real terms and real words to describe what is taking place. None of that fluffy, flowery, frilly sex talk. And of course there is the unexpressed love growing between characters. Its an amazing book!
<blockquote><b>"I kissed him back, matching him move for move, laying my wounded soul bare for him to see, to taste, to touch" </blockquote></b>
Haleigh Lovell has definitely found a fan in me. I can't wait until 2014 when the sequel "Liam's List" is released! I can't wait to hear more of their stories, and I can't wait to maybe meet Julian (again hint hint nudge nudge). This book gets 5 stars from me and is probably one of my best reads of 2013.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Left to Chance in Books
Jan 10, 2018
Great characters (3 more)
Strong portrayal of a small town
Some great funny moments
Lovely and powerful moments
Sweet, touching tale
After six years, Teddi Learner returns to her small hometown of Chance, Ohio to photograph the wedding of her best friend's husband, Miles. Miles is getting remarried after the death of his first wife, Celia. Celia and Miles and had one daughter together, Shayna, who is now twelve. Teddi and Shay had a somewhat superficial relationship after Celia's death--a yearly visit in Chicago, Skype calls, etc. But Shay's now nearly a teenager and she's personally asked Teddi to come to town--a place she's never set foot in since her beloved best friend passed away. When she arrives, she finds Chance has grown, and so has Shay, who is struggling with her father's remarriage and fitting in within her teen friend circle. Further, Teddi's memories of Celia are as strong as ever, and so are her feelings for Celia's brother, Beck, whom she was seeing when she fled town after (okay, pretty much during) Celia's funeral. Teddi has a new life now, photographing weddings all over the country for Hester Hotels. She left Chance behind and never looked back. But now that she's here, she can't help but notice all (and who) she left.
I enjoy picking up novels like this sometime because they let me indulge in my Lifetime / Hallmark movie side (I'm a sucker for those, especially at Christmas time). This book was an excellent diversion and while I certainly could predict some areas, it surprised me in others.
Nathan gives us some great characters, particularly Teddi and Shay. Teddi is complicated and a little annoying, at times, but she comes across as realistically human and flawed. Her love for Celia is incredibly strong and you can feel her loss and heartache come across the pages. The novel is a real testament to female friendship. At times you want to push or prod her a bit, but she's also stronger than she thinks. As for Shay, my heart often broke for the poor girl, struggling at the age of being between a girl and a teenager, with the added difficulty of having lost her mom.
Nathan also does a good job of portraying the eclectic cast of characters in small town Chance, with some good foils popping up for Teddi. Some of my particular favorite appearances included Teddi's cousin, Maggie, and childhood friend, Josie. Because it's a small place, Miles' wedding is the talk of the town, and we see how it brings up some bitterness and long held issues among some, including the immediate family.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. The hardest part was some melodrama in the plot and theme, which got to be a little too much at times. Some things seemed to be blown a bit out of proportion and there can be a lot of different plot threads going on at times. However, there are some really lovely and powerful moments and some incredibly funny ones--much of which stem from the strength of the characters. There's a bit of a picture perfect ending, but not the one I expected. This was a sweet, touching tale in many ways and exactly the read I needed at this point in time. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
I enjoy picking up novels like this sometime because they let me indulge in my Lifetime / Hallmark movie side (I'm a sucker for those, especially at Christmas time). This book was an excellent diversion and while I certainly could predict some areas, it surprised me in others.
Nathan gives us some great characters, particularly Teddi and Shay. Teddi is complicated and a little annoying, at times, but she comes across as realistically human and flawed. Her love for Celia is incredibly strong and you can feel her loss and heartache come across the pages. The novel is a real testament to female friendship. At times you want to push or prod her a bit, but she's also stronger than she thinks. As for Shay, my heart often broke for the poor girl, struggling at the age of being between a girl and a teenager, with the added difficulty of having lost her mom.
Nathan also does a good job of portraying the eclectic cast of characters in small town Chance, with some good foils popping up for Teddi. Some of my particular favorite appearances included Teddi's cousin, Maggie, and childhood friend, Josie. Because it's a small place, Miles' wedding is the talk of the town, and we see how it brings up some bitterness and long held issues among some, including the immediate family.
Overall, I enjoyed this one. The hardest part was some melodrama in the plot and theme, which got to be a little too much at times. Some things seemed to be blown a bit out of proportion and there can be a lot of different plot threads going on at times. However, there are some really lovely and powerful moments and some incredibly funny ones--much of which stem from the strength of the characters. There's a bit of a picture perfect ending, but not the one I expected. This was a sweet, touching tale in many ways and exactly the read I needed at this point in time. 3.5+ stars.
I received a copy of this novel from the publisher and Netgalley (thank you!) in return for an unbiased review.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Kiss Quotient in Books
Dec 25, 2018
This was one of three books I got through Book of the Month this month - the other two were The Book of Essie and When Katie Met Cassidy. I'm reviewing this today instead of another Pride Month read because today is Autistic Pride Day! The Kiss Quotient both stars and is written by a woman on the autistic spectrum, so I thought today would be a fitting day to tell you about it!
So The Kiss Quotient is basically a gender-swapped Pretty Woman, as Hoang mentions in the Author's Note. Our heroine, Stella Lane, books an escort to teach her about sex. Stella is thirty years old, has only had sex a couple of times, never enjoyed it, and is worried about not being good at it and therefore not being able to get or keep a boyfriend. She's an incredibly successful econometrician, or someone who uses data and statistics to model and predict economic trends, in her case predicting what people will want to buy from clients. (She's the kind of person responsible for those "Amazon started marketing baby products to me before I even knew I was pregnant!" incidents.) So she has more money than she knows what to do with, and offers Michael, an escort, $50,000 a month to teach her about sex and relationships.
Because this is a romance, we know what's going to happen here. They fall in love with each other, but are sure that for the other one it's just a business arrangement.
I was NOT expecting this book to be as explicit as it is! I think because it is a Book of the Month, I wasn't expecting the standard trope of romance book with hot sex scenes. But that's what I got! I can't say I'm unhappy with that - god knows I like my guilty pleasure romance smut - but it was definitely unexpected. I'm not sure why it surprised me. The book's premise is all about Stella wanting to learn about sex; if that wasn't conducted on screen we'd lose a third of the book!
A sequel has already been announced, and it's about the other autistic character in the book, the hero's best friend's little brother, Khai, who we only see in one scene. Who I'd also like to know more about is the best friend, Quan! So I'm holding out hope for a third book.
One last thing that I found important - in the Author's Note, Hoang mentions her daughter was diagnosed with AS, and in reading about Autism, she realized she is also on the spectrum. This is something I've seen in three different books now. It's so common for women, especially, to go undiagnosed. They might be better at modelling allistic (non-autistic) behavior, or their special interests might be more "acceptable" to allistics, or sometimes they just get looked at as introverts when they're young instead of getting the help they might need. This is starting to change, as researchers and doctors are realizing Autism presents differently in women. But it seems autistic adult women are often discovering they're autistic through a diagnosis of their children. I found that interesting.
I did really enjoy this book. I think it's a great debut novel, and a great romance. I really like the recent trend of more diversity in lead characters in romance novels. Bring on the people of color! More disabled main characters! There's got to be a romance somewhere with a deaf heroine, right? More alternative sexualities and relationship structures! Everyone, everywhere, wants to be loved, and I want to read about it. The thing is, I'm sure these books exist, but they don't get the kind of publicity they need for people to know about them. We have to actually go looking for them. I feel like I've been better about that recently, but it's definitely a place where the publication industry could improve.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
So The Kiss Quotient is basically a gender-swapped Pretty Woman, as Hoang mentions in the Author's Note. Our heroine, Stella Lane, books an escort to teach her about sex. Stella is thirty years old, has only had sex a couple of times, never enjoyed it, and is worried about not being good at it and therefore not being able to get or keep a boyfriend. She's an incredibly successful econometrician, or someone who uses data and statistics to model and predict economic trends, in her case predicting what people will want to buy from clients. (She's the kind of person responsible for those "Amazon started marketing baby products to me before I even knew I was pregnant!" incidents.) So she has more money than she knows what to do with, and offers Michael, an escort, $50,000 a month to teach her about sex and relationships.
Because this is a romance, we know what's going to happen here. They fall in love with each other, but are sure that for the other one it's just a business arrangement.
I was NOT expecting this book to be as explicit as it is! I think because it is a Book of the Month, I wasn't expecting the standard trope of romance book with hot sex scenes. But that's what I got! I can't say I'm unhappy with that - god knows I like my guilty pleasure romance smut - but it was definitely unexpected. I'm not sure why it surprised me. The book's premise is all about Stella wanting to learn about sex; if that wasn't conducted on screen we'd lose a third of the book!
A sequel has already been announced, and it's about the other autistic character in the book, the hero's best friend's little brother, Khai, who we only see in one scene. Who I'd also like to know more about is the best friend, Quan! So I'm holding out hope for a third book.
One last thing that I found important - in the Author's Note, Hoang mentions her daughter was diagnosed with AS, and in reading about Autism, she realized she is also on the spectrum. This is something I've seen in three different books now. It's so common for women, especially, to go undiagnosed. They might be better at modelling allistic (non-autistic) behavior, or their special interests might be more "acceptable" to allistics, or sometimes they just get looked at as introverts when they're young instead of getting the help they might need. This is starting to change, as researchers and doctors are realizing Autism presents differently in women. But it seems autistic adult women are often discovering they're autistic through a diagnosis of their children. I found that interesting.
I did really enjoy this book. I think it's a great debut novel, and a great romance. I really like the recent trend of more diversity in lead characters in romance novels. Bring on the people of color! More disabled main characters! There's got to be a romance somewhere with a deaf heroine, right? More alternative sexualities and relationship structures! Everyone, everywhere, wants to be loved, and I want to read about it. The thing is, I'm sure these books exist, but they don't get the kind of publicity they need for people to know about them. We have to actually go looking for them. I feel like I've been better about that recently, but it's definitely a place where the publication industry could improve.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com