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Lust on the Rocks

(Gables Triology #2)

Dianne Venetta (Goodreads Author)

3.84 · Rating details · 64 ratings · 22 reviews

One case away from partnership, Samantha Rawlings is forced to share her high-profile case with a sexy younger man, whose eyes are on a different prize. In the best interests of her client, Sam opens the door to his strategy. Turns out, a little too far... Victor Marin has ulterior motives. The defendant in her case holds the key to his revenge and his last chance for just ...more

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Paperback, 402 pages

Published October 14th 2011 by Bloominthyme Press (first published October 8th 2011)

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Apr 26, 2012 Julie rated it really liked it

This is a well written romance novel with a nice balance of drama...
Victor and Samantha's steamy relationship was full of challenges from the very start. Both were attorneys working at the same firm, forced to work on the same case. That alone was enough to cause friction between them because they had very different motives for seeking justice for their client. Not only that, but they both had more than their fair share of baggage from the past. It wasn't until they had almost lost everything ...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Marlene rated it really liked it

Lust on the Rocks, by Dianne Venetta, is the perfect kind of story to read on a rainy afternoon. There's more than enough drama to keep you turning pages to see what happens next. And there is a happily ever after--but the characters do grow and change, and going on their journey with them is very satisfying.

Samantha Rockwell is the best friend of Dr. Jennifer Hamilton, whose story is told in Jennifer's Garden (also very much worth reading!) Sam is a high-powered attorney at a prestigious law fi Lust on the Rocks, by Dianne Venetta, is the perfect kind of story to read on a rainy afternoon. There's more than enough drama to keep you turning pages to see what happens next. And there is a happily ever after--but the characters do grow and change, and going on their journey with them is very satisfying.

Samantha Rockwell is the best friend of Dr. Jennifer Hamilton, whose story is told in Jennifer's Garden (also very much worth reading!) Sam is a high-powered attorney at a prestigious law firm in Miami, and is one case away from making partner.

The case that she's sure will make her the first female partner in the firm's history is Perry Fitness. It's a corporate lawsuit for major damages. Perry was negligent, and a customer died on the premises. His widow is Sam's client.

Sam starts with two issues. Her mentor wants her to take one of the firm's new associates as co-counsel in the case, in addition to her usual teammate. The partner is pushing, hard, for Vic Marin to be on Sam's team. Sam can tell that Raul has a hidden agenda, but she's not sure if he's testing her partnership potential, or trying to scuttle it. And Sam finds Vic way too much of a temptation, all on his own. Their sexual chemistry could cause her enough distraction without any other "sidebars".

And Perry Fitness is definitely "dirty". There have been other deaths, other negligence claims. The question is whether to just go for damages, or to go for a criminal prosecution. Sam's client wants the whole thing to be over so she can move on with her life. Vic wants to go for the manager of Perry Fitness with everything he has, because Vic has a hidden agenda of his own. One that should have kept him off the case. And Vic also has a not-so-hidden agenda. He wants Sam, possibly forever.

The question is, what does Sam want? Partnership, or love? She's always wanted a partnership. She's been working for it since day one. Love has never even been on her radar. Sam's never believed she could have it all, and has always focused on what she was sure she could get. What if that isn't enough?

Escape Rating B: I inhaled Jennifer's Garden and Lust on the Rocks in two days. I got absorbed in the characters and the setting and really felt for them.

I have a soft spot for romances with an older woman/younger man theme. This one did a nice job playing with that without going over the top.

One story element that pushed it into the realm of fantasy was Sam's previous relationship behavior combined with her being a lawyer on the fast-track at her firm. While I couldn't help but admire her ability to not just flirt with, but catch, every man she wants, the idea that her employer knew about her exploits made me think that in real life, she wouldn't be on the fast track. I think the double standard unfortunately still applies.

There's a secondary plot in Lust on the Rocks about Sam's younger sister Jess. I won't spoil the story any further, but Jess has some very rough decisions to make. Her choices have consequences, and all of them are long-term. There wasn't an easy out for her, and the story showed her struggle. It also highlighted some of Sam's issues. Sam wanted to fix things for her, and had an extremely difficult time not taking over. ...more

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Feb 03, 2012 Kathleen rated it really liked it

Samantha Rawlings is a very powerful, vivacious and successful attorney in Miami, she is one case away from making partner in the law firm. With the winning case before her, no one or nothing is going to take away her thunder .... but her boss, Raul Martinez, a senior partner with the firm has other ideas. He wants her to mentor their new young attorney, Victor Marin, a transplant from Philadelphia, and to make matters worse, he wants her to utilize him on the case. Samantha has already noticed Samantha Rawlings is a very powerful, vivacious and successful attorney in Miami, she is one case away from making partner in the law firm. With the winning case before her, no one or nothing is going to take away her thunder .... but her boss, Raul Martinez, a senior partner with the firm has other ideas. He wants her to mentor their new young attorney, Victor Marin, a transplant from Philadelphia, and to make matters worse, he wants her to utilize him on the case. Samantha has already noticed that Victor is quite attractive, but there is something that he is hiding, he is too interested in the case, and she is bound and determined to find out just what his secret is ... and while she's at it, she wants to enjoy his company! Can they mix business with pleasure? Can Samantha maintain her focus on winning the case and securing the partners position? Will Samantha find out what Victor's secret is, and will it affect their working relationship? More importantly, can their affair turn into something more than just Lust On The Rocks?

Lust On The Rocks is a fast paced sizzling novel that keeps the reader's attention throughout the book. The storyline is well written, it is full of intrigue, sensuality and passion, everything a true romance fan could ask for. The characters are realistic, their engaging and complex personalities give the story depth and make it that much more compelling. Samantha and Victor's affair/relationship is just plain sizzling! Their sexual attraction leaps off the pages, it definitely has the wow factor. I really liked Samantha's sassy, no nonsense, independent personality, I found myself grinning throughout the book. Having met Samantha's character in the author's novel, Jennifer's Garden, I was hoping that Samantha would have her own story to tell, and I was not left disappointed. The novel touches on a lot of interesting topics: wrongful death, bereavement and justice, pregnancy and miscarriage, younger man - older woman relationship, and of course romance. I really enjoyed the mix of topics that the author provided in this book, and I loved following Samantha and Victor's journey.
Lust On The Rocks is a must read for all romance fans that likes to add a little spice to their reading, and I would definitely recommend that you read Jennifer's Garden first!

Disclaimer: At the request of the author and Goddess Fish Promotions, a Kindle edition of the book was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest review and participation in the virtual book tour event.

Virtual Book Tour Event: On Friday, February 10, 2012, in association with Goddess Fish Promotions, Dianne Venetta participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...

...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Laura Chapman rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The courtroom gets sexy in Dianne Venetta's Lust on the Rocks. Tasked with winning a major case in the hoped of earning partnership at her law firm, Samantha Rawlings is focused on her career and determined to succeed. A wrench is thrown in her well-oiled machine when a new addition to the law firm is assigned to the case, too.

More frustrating than that is the fact that Sam finds herself attracted to Victor Marin. It isn't long before the two are mixing business with pleasure, only to complicate ...more

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Nov 10, 2011 Brandi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Samantha Rawings is the roughest, toughest, rootin’, tootin-est, shootin’-est lawyer on South Beach and looks model-perfect while doing it. On the fast track to partner she’s not about to let the new guy take over the case that could get her the brass ring. If you’ve read Dianne Venetta’s previous book, Jennifer’s Garden, then you will recognize Sam as Jennifer’s martini drinking best friend. I thought that Sam’s characterization was one of the better parts of the book and now here is her story Samantha Rawings is the roughest, toughest, rootin’, tootin-est, shootin’-est lawyer on South Beach and looks model-perfect while doing it. On the fast track to partner she’s not about to let the new guy take over the case that could get her the brass ring. If you’ve read Dianne Venetta’s previous book, Jennifer’s Garden, then you will recognize Sam as Jennifer’s martini drinking best friend. I thought that Sam’s characterization was one of the better parts of the book and now here is her story in Lust on the Rocks. As Sam is about to try the case of her career, her boss strongly suggests that she allow a new associate of the firm to become part of her legal team. Though she allows Victor Marin access to her team, she is still wary and thinks that he has something to hide. She is also very attracted to the man, nearly ten years her junior. (If you remember her Sam from Jennifer’s Garden, you will recall that Sam is a no holds barred kind of woman). Pretty soon, Sam and Vic give in to each other and try to forge out a relationship while butting heads about the best way to win a wrongful death suit. Sam and Vic go through some real life struggles reconciling their personal morals and professional ethics which made the characters seem real and not just romantic cookie cutter pieces. Vic keeping something from Sam having to do with his personal involvement with the case and Sam’s sister is trying to figure out what to do about an unexpected pregnancy. This book is super sexy without being raunchy and romantic without being sappy.
Here comes the but…..
Since this is a sequel, one would expect to have the reappearance of characters that were featured in previous books. Right? What happened to Jennifer’s fiancé, Jackson Montgomery? I know the guy was a free spirit and wanted to explore the world, but did he fall from the face of the Earth? I kept wondering, chronologically, where this action was taking place because in Jennifer’s Garden, Sam was tending to another of her sisters after the death of her husband. I know this story wasn’t about Jennifer or Jackson but Jennifer was in the book but never once mentioned Jackson or his whereabouts. All in all, I like this book so much more than I did Jennifer’s Garden. Sam didn’t do much whining and, surely, didn’t apologize for who she was. Great book.
...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Kimberly rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: review, contemporary, romance, read-2011

Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link

Attorney Samantha Rawlings knows that winning her current case will be the thing that gets her the coveted promotion to partner. But when her boss asks that she bring hotshot young lawyer Victor Marin in on the case, Sam is thrown for a loop. Vic is distracting…in more ways than one. His sex appeal sends Sam reeling, and his almost single-minded focus on their current case makes Sam question his motives. It looks like Vic has a personal vendetta Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link

Attorney Samantha Rawlings knows that winning her current case will be the thing that gets her the coveted promotion to partner. But when her boss asks that she bring hotshot young lawyer Victor Marin in on the case, Sam is thrown for a loop. Vic is distracting…in more ways than one. His sex appeal sends Sam reeling, and his almost single-minded focus on their current case makes Sam question his motives. It looks like Vic has a personal vendetta against the defendant. What will happen when Sam finds out that – when it comes to this case – appearances aren’t deceiving?

A sensual, career-minded lawyer meets her match in her sexy, vengeance-driven co-worker in the aptly-titled LUST ON THE ROCKS. Author Dianne Venetta wasn’t afraid to let her hero and heroine butt heads – on more than one front – and the sparks that flew as a result brought life to LUST ON THE ROCKS. I enjoyed watching Sam and Vic argue and compromise, push and defend, give and take. They’re so similar and yet so different in character that I felt I got to know them as they worked out their differences. I liked that Ms. Venetta really let me get to know Sam and Vic, both their strengths and their flaws; that stayed with me even more than the spicy love scenes of LUST ON THE ROCKS.

Though Sam, Vic and their current case is at the center of LUST ON THE ROCKS, there is a significant subplot involving Sam’s pregnant college-aged sister. Again, I appreciated the fact that Ms. Venetta had her characters examine all sides of a problem, but in the pro-choice, pro-life debate contained in LUST ON THE ROCKS, the pro-life language used got a bit heavy-handed for my personal comfort. Given that this is a sensitive subject for many readers, I felt like this needed to be mentioned.

LUST ON THE ROCKS has all the sultriness of its Florida setting. Readers looking for a sensual read with strong-willed, three-dimensional characters will undoubtedly enjoy LUST ON THE ROCKS.

Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here courtesy of Romance Junkies. ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Your Need To Read rated it it was amazing

Shelves: miranda

Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...

Today I am sharing a book that I received during the Blog Tour de Troops ebook tour in November, I was so excited to help support the event where over 50 authors offered books not only to each commenter but matched each book given to a commenter by sending one to a troop. Anyway needless to say I got quite a few books stockpiled on my Nook and will be reviewing them for you as I get them read.

The first one is Lust On The Rocks by Dianne Ven Full review here
http://www.yourneedtoread.blogspot.co...

Today I am sharing a book that I received during the Blog Tour de Troops ebook tour in November, I was so excited to help support the event where over 50 authors offered books not only to each commenter but matched each book given to a commenter by sending one to a troop. Anyway needless to say I got quite a few books stockpiled on my Nook and will be reviewing them for you as I get them read.

The first one is Lust On The Rocks by Dianne Venetta.

She has what he needs, and he won't stop until he gets it. Trouble is, what begins as a matter of death, becomes a matter of life.

One case away from partnership, Samantha Rawlings is forced to share her high-profile case with a sexy younger man, whose eyes are on a different prize. In the best interests of her client, Sam opens the door to his strategy. Turns out, a little too far...

Victor Marin has ulterior motives. The defendant in her case holds the key to his revenge and his last chance for justice. But as he chases old demons, he uncovers a powerful woman with no inhibitions, one he wants to possess for himself. But decidedly single, Sam wants no part.

Until Vic walks away.

This was a fresh breath away from my normal reading of paranormal romance and erotic romance. Lust on the Rocks still got my engines going, but what I loved is the story that kept it all going. The "Lust" was a great asset to the story, but it's not what carried the story and kept me glued to my seat turning the pages. A strong confidant lead woman, an equally strong leading man made for a great set up for some hot sexual tension.

What I really liked about this book is that I was able to connect with almost all the characters in some way. The loss of a family member, a mistake I wish I could take back, anger, the need for revenge, and more. Yup I loved this book. A roller coaster of emotions you can feel as though you are experiencing them yourself. If you like romance, drama, and a good court case, then go grab this one for yourself.
...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Carly rated it really liked it

Shelves: for-review

Lust On The Rocks is a top class read. it took me quite some time to read it, simply because I snuggled up in bed with it at night and savoured every delicious detail. It was brilliantly written and had a really well thought out, engaging storyline. It had a real mix of emotions throughout, which I think made it a truly enjoyable read.

Sam Rawlings is a powerhouse of a woman, she is in a high profile job as a lawyer and is one case away from becoming a partner in the firm. Her boss wants her to s Lust On The Rocks is a top class read. it took me quite some time to read it, simply because I snuggled up in bed with it at night and savoured every delicious detail. It was brilliantly written and had a really well thought out, engaging storyline. It had a real mix of emotions throughout, which I think made it a truly enjoyable read.

Sam Rawlings is a powerhouse of a woman, she is in a high profile job as a lawyer and is one case away from becoming a partner in the firm. Her boss wants her to share her hi-profile case with the new guy, Vic. But Vic has a secret, he is personally linked to the Perry case.

Sam is the type of woman who won't be tied down by a relationship or children. She is completely career driven and that's the way she likes it. But when Vic start to spend more time with her, the sparks start to fly. Things definitely hot up between the pair and there are feelings involved, which comes as quite a shock for Sam. But will Sam still feel the same when Vic's secret is revealed? She knows somethings up.

This is quite an in-depth, complex storyline, there is the Sam & Vic love affair, the on going case that they are working on and Sam's little sister Jess becomes pregnant at a young age and Sam has to help her deal with that. I especially love the back-round story of Jess' pregnancy, it was handled and written perfectly.

The ending really was fantastic as everything played out well and I was really pleased for everyone involved. Lust On The Rocks is one of them books that you could go back & read over & over again. I will definitely be looking out for more works from Dianne Venetta.

My favourite characters:

Sam - I love Sam, she is one tough cookie, she is extremely intelligent and knows what she wants out of life. I love her playful personality and the kindness she shows the people she cares about.

Jess - She was such an interesting character to read about and I would love to know more about her. She was moody and acted more like a teenager instead of a twenty-one year old. But she had allot to go through and I think she handled things quite well.

*Special thanks to Dianne for the review copy*

4/5 Stars

Carly :) ...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Ruby Jo rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-cups, contemporary, romance

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
The first thing I liked about this book was the fact that both the hero and the heroine were lawyers. It's been some time since I've read a book about a lawyer. And I enjoyed the coaching of the witnesses, seeing how they tried to figure out what the best way to question a witness was, who was better at captivating the jury, every little detail about the case.

Sam Rawlings is a very interesting character. She's a very good lawyer in my opinion. She's also sarcastic, stubborn, fun, sexy. I liked t ...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Tia Bach rated it really liked it

Samantha is a focused career woman angling to make partner, and Vic is a man bent on revenge. They come together with a combined goal, and heat and desire soon follow. Steamy love scenes and sexy scenery abound.

Thanks to the title, I expected sexy and steamy, and I was not disappointed. What I did not expect were such well-developed and interesting characters. There is nothing one-dimensional about this story.

The author builds the main characters by showing us their other relationships. Vic and ...more

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Jan 30, 2012 MARQUETTA marked it as dnf · review of another edition

I tried to like this book. I liked the concept of older woman, younger man. I liked that Sam wasn't portrayed as an older woman on the prowl. She's successful, about to make partner at her law firm. Vic is an associate who wants to work on Sam's current case. He has his own motives for wanting to be involved. Vic is definitely attracted to Sam and the feeling is mutual. But I didn't buy the attraction and for me the characters lacked chemistry. I saw no reason for them to be together other than ...more

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Dec 03, 2011 Miranda Lynn rated it it was amazing

This was a fresh breath away from my normal reading of paranormal romance and erotic romance. Lust on the Rocks still got my engines going, but what I loved is the story that kept it all going. The "Lust" was a great asset to the story, but it's not what carried the story and kept me glued to my seat turning the pages. A strong confidant lead woman, an equally strong leading man made for a great set up for some hot sexual tension.

What I really liked about this book is that I was able to connect ...more

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Jan 22, 2012 The Loopy Librarian rated it liked it

Some parts of this book were well done while others not so much. I thought the suspenseful scenes (like the near drowning episode) were very well-written. I felt the tension and the frustration of the characters. Other scenes like Vic and Sam eating lunch and flirting with each other were very dry. Though I was told by the author that the two were attracted to each other, I didn't sense the chemistry or the attraction. I thought the underlying story was good, but it felt like a book written on f ...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Deanne rated it liked it

Shelves: first-reads, finished

I won this book from Goodreads First Reads and am thankful to the author for the signed copy she sent to me.

This is not the type of book I usually read. I am more of a John Grisham fan than a Danielle Steele fan but thought I would give it a shot. I found that the characters were well thought out and the plot made sense. I didn't enjoy the side story about Jess, the main character's sister, but it served to provide a wedge between Sam and Vic that needed to be overcome before they could be toget ...more

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Dec 29, 2011 Lena Nicole added it

I recieved the book from http://www.goodreads.com/ as a gift in a prize giveaway, I read it as soon as it came through the door.
Well, I must say Im not one to read this type of book but it was enthralling. The Spunky attitude of Sam gets to me, since alot of books are written by passive main characters.
Even though it is not my typr of book Id usually choose to read, I think it was a great literary work.
I didnt read the previous book, Jennifer's Garden, but Im sure if I did, 'Lust on the Rocks' ...more

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May 08, 2012 Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kritter-reviewed-2012

Check out the full review on Kritters Ramblings

My second book by Dianne Venetta and this one was very similar to the first in that it definitely had some sexy times, but there was a true story at the heart. If you are a follower, you know that I don't tend to read the books that are chock full of sexy times, it makes me very uncomfortable and isn't my type of reading. But I think Venetta writes sex scenes into a story, so I can quickly skip over them and still enjoy a story built on great charac ...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Juliette Townsend rated it really liked it

This is the kind of romance novel that I like. It has just enough drama in it that there’s more to the story than just their relationship. Read the rest of this review here: http://paperbacksandfrosting.com ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Michelle rated it really liked it

Good book, fast read, and fun. Only thing I don't understand was the title!? It didn't make sense to the book and on almost didn't read it because of the name! If I hadn't read Jennifer's Garden first I probably wouldn't have. ...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Cindy rated it really liked it

Shelves: t-u-v

I really enjoyed this 2nd book of the series. A great story about with good character development.

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Mar 03, 2012 Tiffany rated it it was amazing

Love,Love,Love Dianne's writing! This is the second book I've read by her and it's wonderful. She is talented and the characters are quite interesting, each in their own way. ...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Ashley rated it really liked it

Good story line and I really enjoyed the character Sam. The story was predictable at the end, but it was the ending you wanted to happen.

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May 28, 2014 Jethad19 rated it it was amazing

Love how she intersperses real life into the story.

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About Dianne Venetta

Dianne Venetta

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Dianne Venetta is the award-winning author of contemporary romance and cozy mystery novels, including Jennifer's Garden, winner of Best in Romance for 2012 Indie Discovery Awards. When not knee-deep in romance, she contributes gardening advice to various websites and publications and has been featured on GalTime, Huffington Post, Earth Eats (Indiana Public Radio) and Ideal Home Garden among others ...more