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Sex, Straight Up

(Those Sexy O'Sullivans #2)

Kathleen O'Reilly (Goodreads Author)

3.83 · Rating details · 382 ratings · 49 reviews

Meeting a handsome loner on a deserted beach in the Hamptons was like being hit by lightning. One steamy weekend in bed with Daniel O'Sullivan and Catherine Montefiore was marvelously woozy from a delicious cocktail of sun, sand and superhot sex.

Abruptly, though, Catherine's forty-eight hours of fun are at an end when her family's exclusive auction house is hit by a very p ...more

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Paperback, Harlequin Blaze, #388, 214 pages

Published March 25th 2008 by Harlequin Blaze (first published January 1st 2008)

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· 382 ratings · 49 reviews

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Start your review of Sex, Straight Up (Those Sexy O'Sullivans, #2)

Sep 08, 2017 Al George rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Well, color me quelle surprise

happy surprise

Series: Yes

Sexy times: Compared to most contemps these days this was on the more tame side. But it was still blazing (see what I did there?)

Plan on reading more by the author: Unknown. I'm not sure I'm interested enough in the other characters. Then again...

Synopsis Daniel and Catherine meet on the beach and some sexy times with no strings attached (yea, we know how that goes) happens. Daniel lost his wife during 911 and will not let go of her in any way shape or f ...more

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Nov 23, 2009 Jen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-2009, other-romance, harlequin-blaze

This was surprisingly good despite its unfortunate title (obviously, I ought to start raising personal expectations for Harlequin novels)—good in its poignancy and sensitivity.

Here are two rather mild-mannered people working in professional, occasionally mundane, jobs. They meet, they have a passionate affair, they break it off thinking they'll never see each other again. Of course fate works its cheeky little way in, and they become embroiled in office politics on top of their own budding rela ...more

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Aug 06, 2009 Amanda Westmont rated it really liked it

The first thing you have to do if you decide to read this book is to TOTALLY ERASE the title of it from your memory. In fact, I had to erase this book from my kindle because TONS of people ask to SEE my Kindle and I didn't want anyone to think I used it to read porn. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but still.) I have NO IDEA why this book was titled so poorly. It has NOTHING to do with anything in the book that I could figure out. Apparently, Harlequin Blaze just needed to fill a slo The first thing you have to do if you decide to read this book is to TOTALLY ERASE the title of it from your memory. In fact, I had to erase this book from my kindle because TONS of people ask to SEE my Kindle and I didn't want anyone to think I used it to read porn. (Not that there's anything wrong with that, but still.) I have NO IDEA why this book was titled so poorly. It has NOTHING to do with anything in the book that I could figure out. Apparently, Harlequin Blaze just needed to fill a slot in this particular series.

Secondly, you have read the opening pages of this book:

"Since the summer he turned eleven, Daniel O'Sullivan woke up every morning the same way. With an aching hard-on. After he was married, the first light of dawn became his favorite time. He'd roll over, impatient hands searching for his wife. After making love to her, he'd shower, shave, and together they'd take the subway to work. What more could any guy want?

But then one September morning seven years ago, bright sunlight mocking in the sky, that all exploded, along with two airliners, two buildings and two thousand, seven hundred and forty people -- one of whom was his wife.

Gone.

For the next five years he rolled over to look for her, impatient hands searching blindly, and she wasn't there. And so the hard-on stayed."

I was immediately sucked in to his book. And while the rest of the story was good and definitely readable, it wasn't earth shattering. My biggest complaint about the Blaze line is that it actually isn't all that blazing. Maybe I'm the odd woman out, but when I think of "blazing" the last thing I think of is my husband waking up first thing in the morning poking me in the back. Uh... No. ...more

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Feb 15, 2015 Suzanne rated it it was amazing

Shelves: category

Great book (terrible title).

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Jul 28, 2010 Julianna rated it it was ok

Shelves: read-2010, contemporary-romance

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"2.5 stars" Even though the first book in Kathleen O'Reilly's Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy was just OK for me, I was looking forward to trying the next book, Sex, Straight Up, mainly because I thought the concept of a hero who had lost his wife on 9/11 was a very unique one that would probably make a great story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be even more of a yawn than the first one which was extremely disappointing to me, as I've liked some of Ms. O'Reilly's other w Reviewed for THC Reviews
"2.5 stars" Even though the first book in Kathleen O'Reilly's Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy was just OK for me, I was looking forward to trying the next book, Sex, Straight Up, mainly because I thought the concept of a hero who had lost his wife on 9/11 was a very unique one that would probably make a great story. Unfortunately, it turned out to be even more of a yawn than the first one which was extremely disappointing to me, as I've liked some of Ms. O'Reilly's other work very much in the past. In my opinion, she spent too much time on the details of the hero and heroine's professions, that of accountant and art appraiser respectively, which are rather snooze-worthy jobs to begin with. She also had a tendency to meander off onto various little rabbit trails that didn't really directly impact the couple's relationship. All of this felt like a whole lot of filler when I thought she should have been building their connection and developing their emotions on a much deeper level. Instead it seemed the hero and heroine were just wandering around from scene to scene with very little purpose or direction except trying to clear the heroine's grandfather of any implication in a price fixing scheme. That part of the story resolved itself a little too quickly and easily as well with Daniel figuring out who really was responsible while in the midst of a drunken stupor and the “bad guy” being the one person who logically should have been able to cover his tracks, all of which lacked credibility.

I really felt like both Daniel and Catherine had great potential as interesting and likable characters, but just never lived up to the inherent possibilities. I would normally love a quiet, brooding hero who is mourning a lost love, and I did adore Daniel for being so devoted to his wife so much so that he had remained celibate for the seven years since her death. When we first meet Catherine, she seems like a very nice person too. Her artist's eye instantly recognizes the loneliness in Daniel, and being a fellow introvert, she also understands his social awkwardness and need to be alone. There seems to be some underlying hurt in her life as well that came from her desire to be an artist, but at the same time, feeling she could never quite live up to her grandfather's exacting standards either in art or business. Unfortunately, this is as far as these two characters were developed, and I never felt like they blossomed through these adversities in the way they should have. Everything simply stayed on a superficial level with them which made it very difficult to relate.

Being an introvert myself, I typically love introverted characters, but Daniel and Catherine just seem to lack basic communication skills. Generally, they only talk to each other in as few words as possible and never about the really difficult stuff which made them seem very closed off and emotionally distant from one another for the entire book. I got very frustrated with both of them, because Daniel just went around pining for his wife and feeling like he's cheating on her without ever explaining his feelings and reasons to Catherine. For her part, Catherine knew the score on Daniel still being attached to his first wife, but then got kind of snippy, refusing to share personal stuff about herself because Daniel wouldn't either. Then on the rare occasions that he did try to open up a little, she usually cut him off and wouldn't listen because she's afraid of what she'll hear. This couple were such poor communicators, I just never felt a true emotional connection either between themselves or with me as the reader, and consequently had a very difficult time investing myself in what the outcome would be for them. I've read other books with a widow/widower character who was pining for a lost spouse that were done so much better. I felt like what was truly missing here was a willingness on Daniel's part to express himself and an equal willingness from Catherine to be understanding of his feelings, as well as a strong differentiation of their relationship being something new, unique, and different from what he had in the past, but every bit as fulfilling. Instead, all I felt from the pair was pure lust but never a true love connection.

Considering that this was a Blaze novel, I was at least expecting some hot love scenes to liven things up, but even that expectation was dashed. Daniel and Catherine do get it on a number of times, but surprisingly some of the scenes are closed-door, others are barely there (without any foreplay and over in a mere paragraph or two), and the ones that are a little more detailed were still not anywhere near as vivid and passionate as I would have anticipated from a book of this type. In fact, I think it was perhaps the tamest Blaze I've read to date. Again, I thought there was some definite lost potential here, because Catherine is an artist who enjoys sketching nudes, but usually relies on paintings and sculptures instead of real models. She did convince Daniel to model naked for her a couple of times, but instead of it being the exquisitely sensual experience it could have been, the scenario was initially rather academic and then led to one of those barely there love scenes which was quite frustrating. It wasn't just the love scenes that were dull either. A large part of the prose was rendered very simplistically in a passive voice with too much repetition for my taste, while much of the dialog was stilted. The whole story was simply lackluster with no zing or excitement to really pull me in and keep me reading. If the book had been any longer than it was, I probably would have had to lay it aside for something else. Even though Sex, Straight Up didn't catch my fancy, I still plan to finish the trilogy for the sake of completeness, and because I already have the third book on my TBR pile and need it for a reading challenge in which I'm participating. I just won't be expecting much from the upcoming book, based on my experience with the first two and the fact that the soon-to-be hero hasn't particularly endeared himself to me yet in those stories either. Sex, Straight Up is the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivans trilogy. It is preceded by Shaken and Stirred and followed by Nightcap. ...more

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Jan 06, 2011 Christine rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, contemporary-romance, category-romance

Sex, Straight Up is yet another great installment in this fun, sexy, and romantic trilogy. Another relatively short novel, yet impressively packed with an interesting story line and fantastic character and relationship development that is realistic, emotional, and truly compelling.

The nature of this love story made for a fairly complicated emotional journey for Daniel O'Sullivan. He still loves his deceased wife, and knows he always will love her, but he also acknowledges that time has been tell Sex, Straight Up is yet another great installment in this fun, sexy, and romantic trilogy. Another relatively short novel, yet impressively packed with an interesting story line and fantastic character and relationship development that is realistic, emotional, and truly compelling.

The nature of this love story made for a fairly complicated emotional journey for Daniel O'Sullivan. He still loves his deceased wife, and knows he always will love her, but he also acknowledges that time has been telling him he's ready to move on. Throughout the pages of the story, Daniel's struggle to figure out how exactly to do just that is emotional and also beautiful. Once he and Catherine begin their affair the second time around, he's honest with Catherine and really does try to do the right thing. One can't help but empathize with him and admire him for his efforts.

At the same time that Daniel struggles with trying to let go of his past and start to move on, Catherine struggles with maintaining realistic expectations of her relationship with Daniel. She knows she's falling in love with Daniel, but knows it wouldn't be wise to just give her heart up to him. She wants to, though, because when she's with him, everything feels easy and right. And yet, when it does start to show that he loves her, too, she doesn't just cave into that without thinking. She's smart and knows Daniel isn't just going to get over his wife after a few nights or weeks of great sex and conversation. So she's cautious. And what's great about that is that while she's protecting herself from heartache, she's also helping Daniel figure out exactly what he needs, too. He is the one who has to figure himself out and when he does figure it out, he's the one who has to make it happen between them.

Sex, Straight Up is a really beautiful romance that is both passionate and tender. Both characters do a lot of soul searching as they try to figure out what they want from the other person and what is a realistic and fair expectation. Their actions are realistic and purposeful, even when it's just about the sex. When love comes into play, this couple share some very tender and romantic moments that had such depth of emotion and truth. You couldn't help but believe their love was true and meant to be. ...more

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Sep 01, 2014 Darlingem rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romantic, sexy

Don't judge a book by it's cover. And the title is all wrong. That said, this was the first book in a blogger bundle I purchased a few months ago. The blogger was encouraging readers to take a second look at category romances. I started reading category romances when I was 13 and I'm not ashamed to say that I still enjoy them. I have several favorite authors that are auto-buys for me: Kelly Hunter, Maisey Yates and Sandra Marton top my list. Well, now I've added a new favorite - Kathleen O'Reill Don't judge a book by it's cover. And the title is all wrong. That said, this was the first book in a blogger bundle I purchased a few months ago. The blogger was encouraging readers to take a second look at category romances. I started reading category romances when I was 13 and I'm not ashamed to say that I still enjoy them. I have several favorite authors that are auto-buys for me: Kelly Hunter, Maisey Yates and Sandra Marton top my list. Well, now I've added a new favorite - Kathleen O'Reilly. This story caught me by complete surprise. I was expecting, well, as the title says - Sex, Straight Up. Instead, I was instantly pulled into the story of Daniel O'Sullivan, a man who has been living in a fog since his wife was murdered on that horrible September day in NYC. At the time of the story, it's been 7 years since 9/11. Daniel's brothers have been gently and not so gently prodding him to step into the world again, to stop living like a monk. They set him up to spend a weekend in the Hamptons. Not caring for the wild party antics of the other people in the house, he retreats to the beach in front of the house next door - a house that belongs to Catherine Montefiore's family. She's staying there - alone - that weekend. Catherine works in the family auction house (think Christie's) but her artwork is her passion. She watches the man sitting with his back to her on her private beach and begins to sketch him. Sensing someone watching him, he turns around and sees her. He introduces himself to her, apologizes for using her beach, but she invites him to continue using it. He's absolutely gorgeous and she wants to continue sketching him (secretly) but she also sees the empty, lifeless expression in his gaze. She's drawn to him. And he is drawn to her. That's how it begins. And, as with all romance stories, you have a pretty good idea of how the story will end. But I found the "getting there" to be a fresh, heartbreaking (and heartwarming) story. And, yes, the sex was hot, too. ...more

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Feb 13, 2016 ExLibris_Kate rated it really liked it

Ok, listen. You are going to want to roll your eyes and ignore this book because of the ridiculous title. (Why, Harlequin, WHY??) You shouldn't, though, because this book was such an amazing find. Its about a 9/11 widow who cannot move on and an introverted art appraiser who is trying to convince herself that she deserves to be 100% loved by someone. It was such a wonderful, romantic, and sometimes sad story that did not shy away from the effects of grief, especially when it is tied to such a vi ...more

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Aug 01, 2015 Jess rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-ebook, romance-category, 2015-all, romance, 2015-reread

First, I'm 99% sure I read this before, back when the first book in this series (I think) was one of the "Save the Contemporary" picks from DA/SBTB.

Second, I want Grace to read this because I want a NYC evaluation. It reads pretty well to me, but I've accepted that my readings of New York aren't always accurate. At the very least, I like that it tries to integrate itself into the surroundings it has chosen for its setting.

Third, I just really liked this. A story about a 9/11 widower moving on c ...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Karen rated it it was amazing

I got this as part of the "One Click Buy" anthologies, and I wanted to take a minute to review this particular segment. Yes, the man lost his wife on 9/11 - but even with that sadness comes humor and joy. I kinda wished I could see Catherine's sketches. The auction house storyline was slightly less interesting, but it added a little dimension to Daniel's character. The opening took me by surprise. The whole thing about him reaching over every morning just hit me. But I really loved the story, an ...more

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Nov 27, 2008 Shae rated it really liked it

The description of the book isn't exactly how the book happens. It seems super cheesy in the description and the book is not like that at all. Its a well done, very nice story. I really liked the book and got sucked in immediately. I'm not a fan of the hero being so emo for 7+ years over a dead wife, usually those books are quite sad and I don't like books that make me sad. This didn't, so that is a plus. ...more

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Nov 28, 2015 Froggie rated it really liked it

Shelves: year-2015

IGNORE THE TITLE. Whoever came up with it should be sent upstairs with no dinner!

Emotion-packed and good characterization. I was hooked from the first chapter. It hugely raised my opinions on Harlequin Category Romances. I just bought the next book and can't wait to read.

A surprising 4 stars.
...more

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May 21, 2009 Maria rated it it was amazing

Great start to trilogy about three brothers. Sexy stories.

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Jul 05, 2012 Chris rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romancy

I loved this story, but honestly, I don't think the title fit the story. ...more

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Mar 14, 2021 Happy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Catherine while at the Hampton’s meets widower Daniel has a weekend tryst where she finds herself completely smitten.
When returning to New York her family’s auction house is being investigated and audited by none other than Accountant Daniel, the two reignite their forbidden relationship knowing that it jeopardizes the credibility of Daniels audits as well as Catherine’s heart.

One can say little about this story. First Catherine has failed to be very an appealing leading lady, her personality ...more

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Mar 12, 2018 Nightwitch rated it liked it

Shelves: romance-contemp-category

I thought the emotions in this book were handled well, and the plotline involving the hero's first wife was very sensitively done. That said, there were some pacing issues, and the larger plotline - involving the hero's audit of the heroine's company - was just silly. Setting aside the conflict of interest problem (which always annoys me, frankly: how am I supposed to take someone seriously when they're imperiling their professional licensure so that they can continue banging someone they barely ...more

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Apr 14, 2020 Nora Asta rated it really liked it

Shelves: npr-100

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book (the cover put me off so first) but it was emotional and sweet. My only quibble was how the business plan wrapped up off-page and pretty abruptly, but otherwise I liked this one very much.

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Jan 24, 2021 Nichola Shawcross rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Good read

Nice follow up to Gabes story. Daniel was quite dreamy. Can tO wait to see who Sean falls in love with.

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Feb 13, 2021 Rabia rated it liked it

Shelves: angst, chick-lit

The tittle is misleading. This book was different and worth to read. Many interesting characters here

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Feb 17, 2017 Emily rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: e-book, did-not-finish, 2017, romance

DNF at about 60% complete. The characters and scenarios in this one were unbelievable, even for a novel from the Blaze line (which is ostensibly about simply getting the characters set up for the next sex scene). Foundational character traits come and go on a whim and plot points are brought up and dropped within pages of each other. Not enjoyable, not sexy.

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Dec 20, 2015 Teri-K rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance-damaged-mc, romance-thoughtful, romance-beta-hero, romance-harlequin

This book should win the "Most Misleading Title Ever" award. On my own I'd never pick up a book with this title. Which is why internet reading friends are so useful. I was complaining online about books that have the MC falling in love on the one-year anniversary of a spouse's death, when for most folks that's the day you realize you maybe will breathe again, someday. And, though I know we're all different, I was wishing for books that respected a longer, slower grieving process without being ab ...more

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May 20, 2010 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it it was ok

*Read and reviewed for DirtySexyBooks.com Book Challenge*

It's been a few years since I have read a Harlequin even though I own more than 500 of them and while I enjoy this type of read I have always carefully avoided thinking critically about them. I am going to try and review in comparison to the same genre rather than books in general to be as fair as I can.
Like most of you I thought the title is just bizarre and would make much more sense if he actually worked at the bar rather than an accoun ...more

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Jan 29, 2016 Elizabeth rated it liked it

This book was nothing like I thought given the title. I liked it a lot, but I'm pretty sure this was titled by Harlequin, not the author. Daniel and Catherine were boring, in a good way. They're both introverts and lonely (in different ways). They are both suffering (Daniel more) over different things, but they are, in essence, regular boring people, who go out to dinner, work on the weekends, and have stupendous shower sex.

The business plot was interesting but I was very disappointed in how it ...more

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Jun 09, 2009 Netanella rated it really liked it

Shelves: blaze

When I first picked up this book, almost a year ago, I read the title, saw the sexy cover bar scene, and thought I had raunch. I read the first paragraph, noted the dichotomy of the contents with the cover, and put the book away. I'm so glad I finally picked it back up again.

I read the reviews before I started typing this, which is something I typically don't do, because then I don't know what to write without thinking about what someone already wrote first. I loved this book and it sucked me i ...more

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Oct 27, 2011 Hilcia rated it really liked it

Shelves: romance, 2011-read, contemporary

Sex, Straight Up by Kathleen O'Reilly (Blaze #388) is the second book in the Those Sexy O'Sullivan's trilogy and Daniel O'Sullivan's story. I was really surprised at how good and sexy this story turned out and I liked it more than the first book. Why? Well, mainly because Daniel is a widower still grieving for his wife who died during the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11 and he was so reluctant to let her go. However, in this book (as opposed to the first one where the male was the only reason ...more

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Nov 16, 2015 Introvertitude rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-romance

2.5 stars. Points off for title and cover, which have nothing to do with the actual story. Perhaps it's because of the Harlequin Blaze imprint, but this clearly intends to have more emotional impact than the title would suggest; why market it differently?

Story is fine, not fluffy but easy to read. Hero's grief over his dead wife was oddly distant; we are told so much about how long he's harbored it, but we never really feel it. Perhaps grief like that was deemed too heavy and so it is used merel ...more

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Nov 22, 2015 Rachel rated it really liked it

Okay, yeah, so I read a book called "Sex, Straight Up." Yes, the title is terrible, and the cover doesn't match the tone of the book either. This book was unexpectedly sweet and fulfilling. Each character was dealing with some heavy stuff: loss; grief; regret; unrealized potential; the need to be bolder and more vulnerable; the desire to take up more room and take a place at the table because it's not going to be given to you. Those struggles are real, and I enjoyed watching each character grow ...more

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Aug 10, 2013 Cherri Porter rated it really liked it

3.75-4.

I liked this one more than I expected to when I started it. The narration in the first few pages--as the book begins with a hard-on--is a bit jarring. But, I liked Daniel and Catherine quite a bit after the book got going. Catherine was a unique heroine in that she was complete, if not a bit bored, when Daniel shows up. He's a mess, he just doesn't know it.

I just realized it's a serial, so I'll be checking out the other O'Sullivans soon. ...more

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Mar 26, 2016 Liz B rated it liked it

Shelves: ebook, romance, contemporaryrealisticfiction, 2016-books-for-grownups, full-length

Soooo weird that this is a Blaze--and the cover is crazy, too. Heroine is a loner, hero is a loner and a widower (his wife died on 9/11). The book is romantic, but not the sassy sexy romp promised by the title & cover. (I can't imagine the heroine ever, ever wearing the dress on the cover, for example.) It feels much more like a SuperRomance, other than the length. (It was good, by the way.) ...more

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Sep 18, 2016 Karla rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: category-romance

Category romances can be hit or miss. This one is a winner. It is a very touching story about a man who learns to live again seven years after loosing his wife in the 9/11 attacks. Dan and Catherine made a great couple. Daniel is quiet and intense and Catherine is serious and focused on her art. They complimented each other and their attraction was very believable.

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About Kathleen O'Reilly

Kathleen O'Reilly

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Kathleen O'Reilly wrote her first romance at the age of eleven, which to her undying embarrassment was read aloud to her class. After taking over twenty years to recover from the profound distress, she is now proud to announce her new career - a romance author. Kathleen lives in New York with her husband and their two children who outwit her daily.
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