Trope
Thank you to Kay of Miss Bates Reads Romance for the recommendation!
Heat Factor: A few open-door scenes where the focus is more on the emotions than the moving pieces.
Character Chemistry: They have some serious trust issues, but that’s the whole point.
Plot: Guttersnipe + Rake in a Marriage of Convenience
Overall: The emotional beats in this book are PERFECTION.
Heat Factor: There is some sex at the end, but I frankly think that the book would have been better without it. (SHOCKING!) Not because it wasn’t hot, but because the pining was so much hotter.
Character Chemistry: Oh, the pining.
Plot: Fei Long’s sister was supposed to be a peace bride, but ran away instead. To save the family honor (and the peace agreement), Fei Long decides he’s going to pass off a teahouse girl as his sister.
Overall: The first half is slow, but the tension builds and builds and I really didn’t know how they were going to get out of their predicament.
The Union of the Rakes, Book 1
Heat Factor: Two steamy sex scenes in the last few chapters
Character Chemistry: Gotta love a man in glasses, but Sebastian is too woke for his own good
Plot: In order to attract some dude’s attention, Grace gets her friend Sebastian to pretend to woo her. Because dudes gotta have competition to think a woman is sexy, obviously.
Overall: Too much winking at the audience for my taste
South Beach Romance, #1
Heat Factor: SPICY, SPICY, SPICY, but don’t worry because the hero is a tall drink of cold water.
Character Chemistry: These guys are opposites in a lot of ways but it’s all complimentary if you know what I mean…
Plot: A PR specialist struggling with PTSD from a stalker and kidnapping agrees to take on a very, very delicious cinnamon roll of a professional chef as he works to open his first restaurant. Sexy Chef Will creates the sexiest of safe spaces for Brett, who in turn takes a man who wants to hide and helps him shine just the way he is. (SIGH…)
Overall: This book just did something to me–it was sexy, sweet, vulnerable, funny, sassy. I felt things.
Continue reading “Review: Salt + Stilettos by Janet Walden-West (2020)”
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