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Mounting Desire
Jack Carter and Molly Desire are just housemates. There could never be anything between them - they're far too different. Aren't they?
Jack, a successful romance writer, is looking for his soulmate. Molly, a fully paid-up sexaholic, views having to lodge in Jack's house as a necessary but very temporary evil.
For a while, it looks as though they're the exception to the oldest rule in the book: the one that says opposites attract. But then Molly takes to writing her own, instantly successful, steamy romances, and Jack is furious. As the sparks start to fly, it appears there's a whole lot more to their relationship than meets the eye. But could it be that two such different housemates could really be ... soulmates?
Jack, a successful romance writer, is looking for his soulmate. Molly, a fully paid-up sexaholic, views having to lodge in Jack's house as a necessary but very temporary evil.
For a while, it looks as though they're the exception to the oldest rule in the book: the one that says opposites attract. But then Molly takes to writing her own, instantly successful, steamy romances, and Jack is furious. As the sparks start to fly, it appears there's a whole lot more to their relationship than meets the eye. But could it be that two such different housemates could really be ... soulmates?
248 pages, Paperback
First published May 9, 2005
5 people are currently reading
144 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
September 19, 2023
A better book than I've thought. It starts somehow strangely, like more authors write what's going thru their minds and plenty of characters but after a while you realize the fine parts of the story. It has human kindness (more valuable than love or tenderness) a touch of humor and some good sayings, so three stars are more than deserved.
A better title, something like Playful Love or Playful Lover, would suit better. But, of course, it's only my opinion.
A better title, something like Playful Love or Playful Lover, would suit better. But, of course, it's only my opinion.
February 21, 2019
Tocmai ce am terminat de citit cartea si am pe fata un zâmbet laaarg cat China. Mi-a plăcut! Mi s-a parut cel mai original subiect de carte din categoria chic lit. Un bărbat virgin renăscut (abstinent de vreo 5 ani, pt ca dupa divort si a dat seama ca vrea sa întâlnească dragostea adevarata), o nimfomana (ce a fost concediata pt ca abuzase sexual unul dintre subalternii ei), o sora frigida (care face orice ii sta in putere pt a si recăpăta libidoul), o mamă cam libertină (pt care sexul este ca mersul pe bicicleta), o nepoata ce si cauta drumul(si își descoperă sexualitatea), un prieten cam afemeiat (vorba aia toate femeile sa vina la mine) si o virgină obsedată de reguli. Astea sunt personajele si toate, dar absolut toate au rolul lor integrat perfect in poveste.
Cine credea că e usor sa scrii o carte trebuie sa citească această poveste. M am regăsit aproape în toate stările lui de lipsa de chef, lipsa de inspirație, frică... si nu in ultimul rand plăcerea de a oferi celui ce citeste ceva... In poveste sunt amintite foarte des cărțile de dragoste ce conțin scene explicite de sex... categoria de oameni cărora li se adresează, ceea ce doresc acești cititori si cat de drastic sunt faultati autorii pt orice schimb de stil. Pe cuvant ca mi s a parut amuzant. Povestea e super drăguță pt ca intr un mod absolut simpatic, autoarea a știut să scoată tot ce i mai bun din personaje. O carte bunicică din categoria chic lit, clar ce o recomand tuturor care doresc să citească o poveste amuzantă, relaxanta si plina de romance.
Cine credea că e usor sa scrii o carte trebuie sa citească această poveste. M am regăsit aproape în toate stările lui de lipsa de chef, lipsa de inspirație, frică... si nu in ultimul rand plăcerea de a oferi celui ce citeste ceva... In poveste sunt amintite foarte des cărțile de dragoste ce conțin scene explicite de sex... categoria de oameni cărora li se adresează, ceea ce doresc acești cititori si cat de drastic sunt faultati autorii pt orice schimb de stil. Pe cuvant ca mi s a parut amuzant. Povestea e super drăguță pt ca intr un mod absolut simpatic, autoarea a știut să scoată tot ce i mai bun din personaje. O carte bunicică din categoria chic lit, clar ce o recomand tuturor care doresc să citească o poveste amuzantă, relaxanta si plina de romance.
July 1, 2008
Wow, Nina is funny as hell. Picture a male virgin who writes romances and lives with a recovering sex addict...
February 16, 2023
Brought it in a thrift shop and I can definitely see why someone donated it. Just meh
November 19, 2014
Getting sick of the same old stuff in romance novels? Read this tale of the born-again virgin hero who finds his HEA with a sexaholic heroine
I bought this book a while back and it stayed on my shelves for a couple of years. Why did I buy the book? Well the blurb at the back cover was quite intriguing (The hero is a romance novelist for starters!) What compelled me to finally read this book? Regency romance and contemporary romance novels fatigue syndrome. Basically, I’ve been reading a lot of Regency romances, and while I’ve tried mixing it with romance books set in more contemporary times, I found that the contemporary romance novels I’ve been reading were even more predictable (ie every single one seemed to be set in a small town, there are always dogs, supposed alpha males, past traumas easily fixed through love, cheating exes, etc.etc.).
I figured this is a Little Black Dress book, and like the Red Dress books that Harlequin used to publish in the early 2000s, I knew I couldn’t lose with this book, in terms of trying to find a romance with a more quirky edge. And by golly, Ms Nina Killam really delivered on this one! Let me illustrate what I mean by providing you with a list of items/characters/stuff in this book that you are unlikely to find in your usual romance novel:
[My apologies for the spoilers but I have to list them here]
(1) a hero (Jack) who happens to be a romance novelist with a very feminine nom de plume (Celeste D’Arcy) and who decides to be a “born-again virgin”
(2) an opening scene involving the hero’s date literally plunging to her death trying hard to seduce the very-determined-to-remain-a-celibate hero
(3) a heroine (Molly) who is a sexaholic (Note: Her character is first introduced while she is attending a group therapy/support session.)
(4) the hero attending a group therapy session of his own for born-again virgin males
(5) a make-out/love scene involving characters above 60 living in a nursing home, one of which is the hero’s mother (May I also add that this is the “steamiest” sex scene in the entire book!)
(6) a side story involving the hero’s sister (Kate) trying to resuscitate her dying sex drive for her husband through various means which includes illegally obtaining testosterone pills
(7) a scene wherein the hero has conversations with his characters from the Regency novel he is writing, including one where his Regency character hero is questioning how he could ever “ravish” the Regency heroine character with all the petticoats he has to go through to get to her intimate parts, the Regency hero further complains it would take him half an hour before he could fully undress his Regency heroine
(8) male models posing as the heroes in the covers of romance novels staging their own version of a “beauty contest” in a romance convention. (As a person who has never attended a romance convention, I would like to know if these conventions really have these male models having contests like these, because if they do, I would be more compelled to attend one somewhere! :-))
I could probably go on and on listing more and more stuff, but this book was the perfect antidote for the “romance novel fatigue” I was experiencing. There were simply a lot of unpredictable LOL moments in this book.
Unfortunately, much as I would love to give this book a perfect 5 stars, I’ve had some problems with this book. In some ways, I wonder if the author wrote this book as a reaction to romance/erotica books, because it felt like she was determined to stuff it with a checklist of anything that you will not find in any romance book. (Perhaps, she too went through the same romance novel fatigue I’m going through?) Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s the primary reason I love this book. However, sometimes it helps to restrain/limit the items you include in any one book.
My main problem with this book was that given its length, there seemed to be so many characters and side stories that didn’t really add anything. A good example was the hero’s niece, Leda, who seemed like an unnecessary character in the book. The few scenes devoted to her were so disjointed a reader cannot really grasp where her character was going or what she was adding to the storyline (ie one moment she is harassed for not joining a blow job competition, then she becomes “popular “ again because of some business she starts with another unpopular girl, then she gets into celibacy). The book could easily survive without her scenes.
In fact, if you removed some of these unnecessary characters or scenes, more pages could have been devoted to Jack and Molly – as they are the main hero and heroine who eventually got their HEA (or in this case, the strong possibility of an HEA). I would have loved more interaction between them. I also wouldn’t have minded seeing more of Kate and Carl. Carl was hardly in the book and I would have been more interested to see how he was seeing his own marriage with Kate, rather than read through the stuff about Leda. Kate and Carl would have been the great B-story in this novel.
The other problem with the book is the hero, Jack, himself. He was such an interesting character, but towards the middle, he became more of a self-righteous, smug, conceited jerk with his views about relationships, his obsession with being celibate and even how he liked to flaunt his “knowledge/expertise” about the romance genre (as if HE IS THE ULTIMATE EXPERT). While I could understand his desire to be celibate in order to find a more “meaningful” relationship, it just didn’t hold water as the book progressed, because it seemed like “preserving his virginity” or finding someone as celibate as he became more the goal for him than establishing a real meaningful relationship with someone.
However, despite these flaws, I have to rate it highly. It was simply so different from all the other romances I’ve been reading. Some readers may not like this book for not following the usual romance novel pattern, but as a person who likes those breaking free of the usual square/comfort zone, I applaud Nina Killham for being bold enough to try breaking the usual romance novel mould.
I bought this book a while back and it stayed on my shelves for a couple of years. Why did I buy the book? Well the blurb at the back cover was quite intriguing (The hero is a romance novelist for starters!) What compelled me to finally read this book? Regency romance and contemporary romance novels fatigue syndrome. Basically, I’ve been reading a lot of Regency romances, and while I’ve tried mixing it with romance books set in more contemporary times, I found that the contemporary romance novels I’ve been reading were even more predictable (ie every single one seemed to be set in a small town, there are always dogs, supposed alpha males, past traumas easily fixed through love, cheating exes, etc.etc.).
I figured this is a Little Black Dress book, and like the Red Dress books that Harlequin used to publish in the early 2000s, I knew I couldn’t lose with this book, in terms of trying to find a romance with a more quirky edge. And by golly, Ms Nina Killam really delivered on this one! Let me illustrate what I mean by providing you with a list of items/characters/stuff in this book that you are unlikely to find in your usual romance novel:
[My apologies for the spoilers but I have to list them here]
(1) a hero (Jack) who happens to be a romance novelist with a very feminine nom de plume (Celeste D’Arcy) and who decides to be a “born-again virgin”
(2) an opening scene involving the hero’s date literally plunging to her death trying hard to seduce the very-determined-to-remain-a-celibate hero
(3) a heroine (Molly) who is a sexaholic (Note: Her character is first introduced while she is attending a group therapy/support session.)
(4) the hero attending a group therapy session of his own for born-again virgin males
(5) a make-out/love scene involving characters above 60 living in a nursing home, one of which is the hero’s mother (May I also add that this is the “steamiest” sex scene in the entire book!)
(6) a side story involving the hero’s sister (Kate) trying to resuscitate her dying sex drive for her husband through various means which includes illegally obtaining testosterone pills
(7) a scene wherein the hero has conversations with his characters from the Regency novel he is writing, including one where his Regency character hero is questioning how he could ever “ravish” the Regency heroine character with all the petticoats he has to go through to get to her intimate parts, the Regency hero further complains it would take him half an hour before he could fully undress his Regency heroine
(8) male models posing as the heroes in the covers of romance novels staging their own version of a “beauty contest” in a romance convention. (As a person who has never attended a romance convention, I would like to know if these conventions really have these male models having contests like these, because if they do, I would be more compelled to attend one somewhere! :-))
I could probably go on and on listing more and more stuff, but this book was the perfect antidote for the “romance novel fatigue” I was experiencing. There were simply a lot of unpredictable LOL moments in this book.
Unfortunately, much as I would love to give this book a perfect 5 stars, I’ve had some problems with this book. In some ways, I wonder if the author wrote this book as a reaction to romance/erotica books, because it felt like she was determined to stuff it with a checklist of anything that you will not find in any romance book. (Perhaps, she too went through the same romance novel fatigue I’m going through?) Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s the primary reason I love this book. However, sometimes it helps to restrain/limit the items you include in any one book.
My main problem with this book was that given its length, there seemed to be so many characters and side stories that didn’t really add anything. A good example was the hero’s niece, Leda, who seemed like an unnecessary character in the book. The few scenes devoted to her were so disjointed a reader cannot really grasp where her character was going or what she was adding to the storyline (ie one moment she is harassed for not joining a blow job competition, then she becomes “popular “ again because of some business she starts with another unpopular girl, then she gets into celibacy). The book could easily survive without her scenes.
In fact, if you removed some of these unnecessary characters or scenes, more pages could have been devoted to Jack and Molly – as they are the main hero and heroine who eventually got their HEA (or in this case, the strong possibility of an HEA). I would have loved more interaction between them. I also wouldn’t have minded seeing more of Kate and Carl. Carl was hardly in the book and I would have been more interested to see how he was seeing his own marriage with Kate, rather than read through the stuff about Leda. Kate and Carl would have been the great B-story in this novel.
The other problem with the book is the hero, Jack, himself. He was such an interesting character, but towards the middle, he became more of a self-righteous, smug, conceited jerk with his views about relationships, his obsession with being celibate and even how he liked to flaunt his “knowledge/expertise” about the romance genre (as if HE IS THE ULTIMATE EXPERT). While I could understand his desire to be celibate in order to find a more “meaningful” relationship, it just didn’t hold water as the book progressed, because it seemed like “preserving his virginity” or finding someone as celibate as he became more the goal for him than establishing a real meaningful relationship with someone.
However, despite these flaws, I have to rate it highly. It was simply so different from all the other romances I’ve been reading. Some readers may not like this book for not following the usual romance novel pattern, but as a person who likes those breaking free of the usual square/comfort zone, I applaud Nina Killham for being bold enough to try breaking the usual romance novel mould.
October 29, 2025
Fun book, but pretty cheesy and hard to keep track of some of the many characters.
May 28, 2014
Okay, the plot was awful, but a good writer can write just about anything and make it good. Clearly, NK couldn't rise to the challenge. When I read her thanks to her editor, I guffawed. Has an editor seen this text? Unbelieveable...
The parts about the people other than Jack, Molly and Jack's mum were completely missing the point. Why were these in the book? They didn't add to it, and mostly they were unclear. One page about the teenager girl Leda starting a business. What?
Also the whole describing of Jack wanting to find true love and until then being a virgin... That's not HOW it goes. If a guy is waiting for true love, he will wait for it indeed, by going out, meeting girls, and yes, sex, if he likes the girl, and then he'll see whether this is going anywhere... That whole dating with Heather thing was awfully stupid.
And the end? How they missed each other like five times in discussing their I love yous? It was outrageous. I fumed. My husband said why did I keep on reading if it was so bad? But I just cannot not go until the end of the road with any book.
The incident with the cat and the door was funny: it should have been sooner and lasted much-much longer. It would have spiced up the story!
The parts about the people other than Jack, Molly and Jack's mum were completely missing the point. Why were these in the book? They didn't add to it, and mostly they were unclear. One page about the teenager girl Leda starting a business. What?
Also the whole describing of Jack wanting to find true love and until then being a virgin... That's not HOW it goes. If a guy is waiting for true love, he will wait for it indeed, by going out, meeting girls, and yes, sex, if he likes the girl, and then he'll see whether this is going anywhere... That whole dating with Heather thing was awfully stupid.
And the end? How they missed each other like five times in discussing their I love yous? It was outrageous. I fumed. My husband said why did I keep on reading if it was so bad? But I just cannot not go until the end of the road with any book.
The incident with the cat and the door was funny: it should have been sooner and lasted much-much longer. It would have spiced up the story!
March 29, 2015
This book was really terrible. It's supposed to be a chick-lit/romance (not Harlequin, just a love story) about a born-again male virgin and a sex addicted woman who moves in with him. They're polar opposites, hate each other at first and over time, fall in love. Cute, right? Sounds promising.
Here's the problem: I never felt like he really fell in love with her. It felt more like he just wanted sex and realized that she didn't care about feelings. Mounting Desire is akin to watching a rom-com movie where the actors have no cheistry. Now imagine that instead of actors with no chemistry, it's the characters themselves. I'd love to blame it on the actors. Since this is a book, I have to blame it on the writing. Sorry Nina Killham.
Here's the problem: I never felt like he really fell in love with her. It felt more like he just wanted sex and realized that she didn't care about feelings. Mounting Desire is akin to watching a rom-com movie where the actors have no cheistry. Now imagine that instead of actors with no chemistry, it's the characters themselves. I'd love to blame it on the actors. Since this is a book, I have to blame it on the writing. Sorry Nina Killham.
January 5, 2011
What a shame - such a nice idea of a book but such a waste of papers.. Don't love it at all...
September 6, 2020
I really wanted to like this book. Just felt it was a little just thrown together.. i did finish it.. but just feeling quite mehhhh about it
August 25, 2019
I was enthralled elated and excited to the very end
October 4, 2019
It's unconventional and it's definitely not for everyone.
May 8, 2020
Oh I loved it! I couldn't put it down such interesting characters and their twists of fate. Brilliant will certainly look for more by Nina Kilham.
July 19, 2020
This book was quite amazing
It was just funny all the Way and I Really recommend Reading it
It was just funny all the Way and I Really recommend Reading it
December 14, 2023
Fun and fast read all about our unpoken inner desires
Read
May 15, 2024I obviously enjoyed it! She as a great sense of comedy - a way to undercut the moment. Jack Carter, romance novelist has decided to abstain from sex until he finds "true love."
February 23, 2025
Never again.
October 30, 2012
Not the best novel I've read of the LBD books. I'd say it's at the bottom of the list from all I've read from them.
I had to be so dedicated to getting into this book because I was so tempted to put it down at the beginning, I know getting into the story gradually but it wasn't enough to get me hooked. It picked up 1/3 of the way in, to me I need to be hooked within the first few chapters, not a 1/3rd of the book. the 2/3rd of the book was good and I enjoyed it. It was confusing to figure out though who all the people were linked with in what way and some of them in the ending didn't really have a purpose in the book for me at all?
And then the last 1/3rd of the book just went down hill, plot line was drawing to a close with every possible outcome happening like she couldn't pick a reasonable ending. He didn't want her then he wanted her, but she didn't want him and was hooking up with his mate, so he went to sleep with another women and she came running and then after all that they wanted to be together and yet it still didn't happen... lame ending to say the least. Just expected a lot more from what I thought it was going to be to what it was, I was very disappointed. But hey I read the damn thing until the end I did!
I had to be so dedicated to getting into this book because I was so tempted to put it down at the beginning, I know getting into the story gradually but it wasn't enough to get me hooked. It picked up 1/3 of the way in, to me I need to be hooked within the first few chapters, not a 1/3rd of the book. the 2/3rd of the book was good and I enjoyed it. It was confusing to figure out though who all the people were linked with in what way and some of them in the ending didn't really have a purpose in the book for me at all?
And then the last 1/3rd of the book just went down hill, plot line was drawing to a close with every possible outcome happening like she couldn't pick a reasonable ending. He didn't want her then he wanted her, but she didn't want him and was hooking up with his mate, so he went to sleep with another women and she came running and then after all that they wanted to be together and yet it still didn't happen... lame ending to say the least. Just expected a lot more from what I thought it was going to be to what it was, I was very disappointed. But hey I read the damn thing until the end I did!
September 4, 2015
Review - I thought that Jack's idea to live a virginal life was a kind of ridiculous context - it's better to have things in moderation, rather than to deny yourself something which you so desperately want. However, I did really love Molly, even if she did come across as a bit of a slut in her experimentation. I didn't think that Mounting Desire was one of the best Little Black Dress books, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I don't think it's wrong to want to find true love, but why deny yourself what your body needs?
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance
Characters? - Jack Carter / Molly Desire / Robert McKee
Setting? - U.S.A.
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
Genre? - Chic Lit / Romance
Characters? - Jack Carter / Molly Desire / Robert McKee
Setting? - U.S.A.
Series? - N/A
Recommend? - Maybe
Rating - 14/20
February 28, 2010
I was looking for something funny and Mrs. Giggles (http://www.mrs.giggles.com) gave it a great review so thought I'd check it out. There were a few funny sentences here and there but it had a lot of holes and weaknesses. Finally, I just skimmed through and read the end to see if it got better. The end was lame.
Sometimes I get a great rec from Mrs. Giggles (and at the very least always enjoy her reviews, especially the scathing ones) so its still a site I love to visit. This one was just a bomb.
Sometimes I get a great rec from Mrs. Giggles (and at the very least always enjoy her reviews, especially the scathing ones) so its still a site I love to visit. This one was just a bomb.
April 6, 2012
"You are my hero. Because you stand up for what you believe in, love. You have kept your honor and say to the world, 'My heart is worth something'."
Jack Carter, a successful romance writer, is looking for his soulmate. Molly, an unemployed sexaholic, has to lodge in Jack's house until she finds a new job. There could never be anything between them - they're far too different. Aren't they?
A good story for those in search for a true love. Sometimes, 'the one' you are looking for is just beside you.
Note: not for under 18, there're some explicit sex scenes
Jack Carter, a successful romance writer, is looking for his soulmate. Molly, an unemployed sexaholic, has to lodge in Jack's house until she finds a new job. There could never be anything between them - they're far too different. Aren't they?
A good story for those in search for a true love. Sometimes, 'the one' you are looking for is just beside you.
Note: not for under 18, there're some explicit sex scenes
August 23, 2013
I read Nina Killham's first book, HOW TO COOK A TART and loved it. This second book, MOUNTING DESIRE, is hysterical. Killham creates characters that seem so real and puts them into situations that seem so absurd. Even though she introduces many characters throughout the book (actually caricatures in many cases, such as the male cover model) the reader is able to follow along easliy. That is until you start laughing so hard you drop the book and lose your place. I can't wait to read her next book and see what she sends up next.
November 21, 2014
I wanted to put it down about five times, but I just can’t stop reading a book till I know the end. So I did, and it was awful. The plot, the characters, the language and the writing style falls repeatedly and you hope that somewhere along the pages, there might be a crest, but it’s just a bunch of troughs.
I must applaud Nina Killham for trying to break the usual romance plot, trying to create different characters and work with humour (the kind that’s not typical to romance), but I must say it didn’t work for me.
Disappointed, but I’m going to give her other book a shot anyway.
March 23, 2013
I LOVE it!
Definitely has found a new fav writer. The fact that I finished this book in one day is evident that it's a page-turner.
I love how the whole story is kind of reversed-role, with the hero having typical women's expectations and the heroin was cool headed, logical party.
I laughed, felt outraged, cheered the characters, etc through out. I imagine that it makes a good romantic comedy :)
Definitely has found a new fav writer. The fact that I finished this book in one day is evident that it's a page-turner.
I love how the whole story is kind of reversed-role, with the hero having typical women's expectations and the heroin was cool headed, logical party.
I laughed, felt outraged, cheered the characters, etc through out. I imagine that it makes a good romantic comedy :)
September 5, 2013
Well here's the thing, I actually know Nina. We were friends when we were 7-9 and living down the street from each other. I loved Nina and her family and I liked reading her book because she wrote it. I think she is very talented but I'm more interested in reading her next book than in recommending this...
September 9, 2009
Usually I find I can enjoy a book that is easily read in one day, but not this one. The characters were pretty unsympathetic and very unbelievable. Would a born-again, OCD virgin really fall so heavily for a nymphomaniac who has shagged even the Fed Ex guy infront of him? Hmm, well here he does!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2016
Hysterical! It came to me by surprise that Nina Killham is really a great writer given the fact that it's the first novel that I've read from her collection and I'm looking forward to her other great works of art.
March 8, 2015
2.5/5
Will have to give this one another try. Had a lot of potential, I liked the unique plot (male born-again virgin with a female recovering sex-addict flatmate compete at writing romance novels). It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to write it "quirky."
Will have to give this one another try. Had a lot of potential, I liked the unique plot (male born-again virgin with a female recovering sex-addict flatmate compete at writing romance novels). It just seemed like the author was trying too hard to write it "quirky."
January 30, 2016
Much better than the other one (I can't remember what it's called), although it still has the hot steamy sex, this one has at least got a little humor in it. But it still has a predictable storyline.
October 22, 2007
Absolutely awful.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews