Sexytimes
Heat Factor: Once with the whole group, and then Taryn has a one-on-one interlude with each alien
Character Chemistry: They treat Taryn well, except for that whole lying to her thing
Plot: Taryn meets some really hot people and bangs it out with them…only to discover that they’re aliens who want her blood
Overall: Goes some unexpected places, which I liked, but the relationships could have been a tad more developed
Heat Factor: The title says “invasion” but it was extremely consensual
Character Chemistry: Not sure chemistry is altogether necessary if you’re the only two people on the whole planet
Plot: Man is left behind alone on terraforming experiment planet due to budget cuts, finds sentient dinosaur who also thought he was alone to hang out with
Overall: There are several excellent zingers in this short story.
Heat Factor: Well, that Daddy stuff sure surprised me
Character Chemistry: They are both so clueless and so googly-eyed about each other
Plot: Kai and Silas start dating
Overall: I believed this HEA
Once Upon a Time in Texas, Book #1
Heat Factor: I found the sexting shockingly effective
Character Chemistry: Maggie is in lust with the Big Bad Wolf, and moving from animosity to friendship to love with Travis. Except they’re the same man—and she doesn’t know it.
Plot: Maggie and Travis have mindblowing, slightly kinky sex as anonymous strangers at a costume party. And then Travis discovers that they’re neighbors slash she thinks he’s destroying her business. Too bad the sexting is so fun.
Overall: There were a few rough patches at the beginning, but I ended up really enjoying it.
Heat Factor: I’d definitely say it borders on a slow burn IF you don’t take the sexting into consideration.
Character Chemistry: There are a lot of relationships going on and they all had pretty good chemistry. Maggie and Travis seemed to sync really well.
Plot: Maggie and Travis hook up in disguise at a costume party—Travis knows Maggie’s identity, but Maggie is in the dark. When they end up at odds as neighbors and work competitors, they end up finding a deeper connection.
Overall: It was a cute cowboy-to-be book that felt realistically small-town.
Heat Factor: It starts early and doesn’t really slow down if you count all the sexting, but I wanted the story to get on with it because all the character interactions were more fun
Character Chemistry: I was more invested in the all the dynamics of the small town characters than in the romantic relationship between Maggie and Travis
Plot: business competitors, antagonistic anonymous neighbors, anonymous hookup, forced to work the same contract, sexting deception, custody battles, and liens
Overall: If we hadn’t agreed to buddy read it, I probably would have DNFed by 25% simply for all the gender essentialism, BUT I think it was maybe Trying To Do Something, and, as Holly said, it turned out pretty cute in the end.
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, Book #2
Heat Factor: We’ve got praise kink!
Character Chemistry: Sometimes two wrongs DO make a right
Plot: When Marian accidentally-on-purpose kills her husband, she goes on the run. And kidnaps Rob so he can aid and abet her. After all, he had been blackmailing her, and who could better help her escape the law than a criminal?
Overall: I love me a good highwayman roadtrip book!
The Smut Report 