Trope
Heat Factor: It’s hot. There’s lots of booty.
Character Chemistry: This is fully established physically, but (likely due to length) the emotional chemistry is less developed.
Plot: Carmen and her ex, Matthew, end up stuck sharing their beach house for the summer. When both decide to punish the other through seduction, they cave almost instantly and rekindle their relationship.
Overall: It’s not fully fleshed out but there’s flesh out. (See what I did there?)
Crescent Pass, Book #1
Heat Factor: We really shouldn’t but we want to (and boy do they ever)
Character Chemistry: Attraction plus kindness is always a winning combination
Plot: Harper and Owen got Vegas married five years ago, and haven’t seen each other since. Now, Harper wants an annulment.
Overall: I really liked this book
Greycourt, Book #2
Heat Factor: Above average historical romance sexyness
Character Chemistry: He’s smitten, she loathes him
Plot: Messalina is forced into marriage with her evil uncle’s fixer
Overall: I gobbled this up, but must admit that the resolution was rushed
Heat Factor: It slipped in. Consent optional. Do you need consent if you’re married?
Character Chemistry: He is large, grumpy and swarthy, and she is fair, smol and pure. How can they not fall in love?
Plot: One damn thing after the next, caused by miscommunication and stupidity.
Overall: They’re mad at each other, but they don’t know why they’re mad at each other, and they won’t stop doing dumb things to each other.
Heat Factor: It’s the sexiest one we’ve read so far in the Old School read-a-thon
Character Chemistry: It’s The Taming of the Shrew, but who’s taming who?
Plot: Jamie’s like, “You told me to handle it! So I handled it.”
Overall: This book is absolutely delightful.
Content Note: These books contain rape, ablism, and racism and we discuss this content in our review. Also, sorry, Ranulf of The Black Lyon is not actually a Hottie McScottie, but he’s got highlander energy.
Continue reading “Back to Old School: Hottie McScottie Week”
Heat Factor: They keep holding themselves back…until they don’t.
Character Chemistry: Sebastian is too darn noble for his own good, which means there’s a lot of pining.
Plot: Paulina’s Evil Older Brother puts her in a compromising position with Sebastian, and then catches them there, and then throws Sebastian in jail until he agrees to marry Paulina…but what’s his long game???
Overall: A perfectly delicious category romance.
The Smut Report 