Trope – Forced proximity/relationship occurs because of an accidental/unplanned pregnancy
Valentine Vineyards, Book #1
Heat Factor: Fade to gray? There’s some sex but we see more afterglow than details
Character Chemistry: Outstanding
Plot: Chandra and Julian are new to a small town, and they keep meeting—but Chandra insists they can’t have a relationship
Overall: It felt like a filler book
Touched by a Demon, Book #3
Reviews of Touched by a Demon Book #1 and Book #2
Heat Factor: Lots of hard nipples and clenching thighs, but there’s only one explicit sex scene at about the midway point. Then the morning sickness begins.
Character Chemistry: Lust, longing, and ten thousand years of hurt feelings.
Plot: Samael and Lilith plan a conference with the heavenly delegation.
Overall: Loved the first half, thought the second half was…ok.
Coulter Family, Book #4
Heat Factor: He basically rapes her in Chapter 1, and then they very gently make love once or twice toward the end.
Character Chemistry: Some Old Skool Dynamics, for sure.
Plot: When Carly gets pregnant, she and Hank get Insurance Married.
Overall: I read this book fully expecting it to be cringe and ended up getting swept away. But now that I’m actually thinking about it, there was indeed a lot of cringe.
Birmingham, Book #1
Heat Factor: “His warmth and passion” is “led on to his nest.”
Character Chemistry: Is it abuse or is it love? Hard to tell.
Plot: Brandon rapes Heather. They are forced to get married. And then Brandon takes Heather to South Carolina, where shenanigans occur and also they somehow decide they’re in love.
Overall: It’s all totally yikes or totally infuriating and sometimes both!
Please note: This book includes rape, abuse, chattel slavery, and ableism (among other things), which we discuss in this review.
Continue reading “Back to Old School: The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss (1972)”The Family, Book #1 & 5
Review of The Family, Book #2 & Book #3
Heat Factor: There is plenty of time for sex no matter what else is happening
Character Chemistry: A lot of this couple’s chemistry occurs in Beautiful & Dirty, but they’re so happy to be reunited in The Don
Plot: Shae meets Salvatore on a day that she’s about done with her selfish boyfriend, and when her day in Naples ends with a pregnancy, she’s a little lost…until her cousin’s disappearing act takes her right back to Italy and Salvatore’s restaurant
Overall: You kind of have to read the whole series, but if half sex, half mayhem sounds fun to you, I definitely recommend it.
Continue reading “Review: Beautiful & Dirty and The Don by Katrina Jackson (2020-2022)”
The Smut Report 