Simmering Seductions

by Mandy M. Roth

Devan Seward is in the process of starting over-moving to the big city and doing her best to move on from an ugly past. When she waylays "Mr. Right" in the stairwell of her new apartment building, she feels an instant connection to him. There is something about the tall, dark and handsome man that leaves her feeling as if she's known him all her life. Devan no longer trusts blindly, a hard lesson learned, but can't seem to stop herself from confessing things better left behind.

Chef Kurt Holland is like a rock god in the culinary world. Cooking is his passion. His restaurant, E&E, caters only to the rich and famous. When a sexy blast from the past literally falls into his lap, he refuses to retreat like he did last time. No. Seizing the moment and Devan's heart becomes his ultimate passion.

Rating: This story deals with sensitive subjects such as domestic violence, drug abuse and deception. It has explicit sex, strong language and violence against the heroine (not by hero).

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

200 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

NY Times & USA Today bestselling author Mandy M. Roth® loves 80s music and movies and wishes leg warmers would come back into fashion. She also thinks the movie The Breakfast Club should be mandatory viewing for…okay, everyone. When she’s not dancing around her office to the sounds of the 80s, she’s busy writing paranormal operatives and kick-butt urban fantasy heroines. Mandy lives in Oxford, Mississippi with her husband and three boys. She has sold over 2 million books. Mandy has published with Harlequin, Random House/ Virgin Books, numerous small presses, and has had an amazingly successful indie career. She’s had bestselling books in a multitude of categories and genres at Amazon, Nook, Google Play, Apple Books, and Kobo.

Reviews

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

What you must know: This book has flashback scenes related to domestic violence, those uninterested or disturbed by that fact should not read this book. The seller does mention drug abuse – but I found that to be secondary and not an integral plot point for the story. In addition: I received a PDF copy from the author for purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for my review, and all opinions are 100% honest, mine and my responsibility.

I want to start with kudos to the author, for tackling a tremendously difficult subject with humor and grace, showing that healing IS possible with determination and love. Devan has relocated from Ohio to make a new start for herself and her son in New York City. Moving in she literally falls in the lap of an old crush, one she doesn’t recognize, and the story takes off from there.

Intermingled with memories of teenaged hijinks this smart mouthed, quick thinking heroine with few inhibitions and even fewer brakes on her tongue is introduced to us. A survivor of beauty pageants and parental expectations: she knows how not to take herself seriously and really is someone you would like to know. Kurt, the old crush, is dazzled by her looks, her laugh, her freedom – her friends recounting of their ‘wild times’.

To be honest, the story started and it felt like you were suddenly dropped into the middle of a play; with little chance of catching up, you enjoy the show anyway. And much of the book continues in that same pattern for Kurt, while Devan is friendly and open to having him around as all of her friends and brother do little but reveal embarrassing bits about her past, he is understandably stunned and often brought to moments of utter silence.

It’s a romance – so we do have that boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl underlying plot line: all without Devan realizing the timing of the “meetings”. I don’t want to give away any more of the story – you do need to read to the end.

While people have their preferences about the flashback scenes, I found them well integrated into the story. We all speak with one part of our brain, while there are pictures and images from something entirely different in the other part. The flashback scenes, with only one exception, are all done in this format. Finding Devan an instantly engaging and sympathetic heroine, it is a technique that works well for her character.

I will say that if you want to read a story about one who survived the horrors of domestic violence in a breezier and fun read – this is the book for you. If you can’t or wish not to deal with the conflicted feelings of a survivor, or are disturbed by the reference to the triggers that cause her to retreat, you won’t be comfortable with this book.

I enjoyed the book, it was funny and paced with enough humor to lighten the true horrors that Devan had overcome, aided with meddling friends and family.
~gaele for Jeep Diva Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was not able to finish this book. There were so many parts where I just said, "you've got to be kidding" in my head. Problem one, in the beginning there is a whole scene where Devin's brother and friend are moving a couch up four flights of stairs for her and they run into the Hero, Kurt. For some reason they end up having this incredibly long conversation in which Kurt says very little then Devan sits on the couch and takes a phone call all while the guys are holding the couch. No one loves anyone enough to stand on a flight of stairs holding onto a couch for what seems like forever. They would have moved the couch into the apartment and put the damn thing down then had their conversation. Problem two, how does the Heroine Devan not know what her crush looks like when she is around him for several years worth of summers while at her Uncle's restaurant. In this book she has only seen the back of him. Problem three, somehow she doesn't know she has slept with her crush. She gets locked in a storage closet and someone turns the lights out and she starts to cry because she is afraid of the dark. Somehow she ends up sleeping with a guy in the dark and she doesn't realize it isn't her boyfriend? What about when the lights turn back on or the door is unlocked and she leaves. She never bothers to turn around and look at the person exiting with her. LAME!!!! There is a lot of banty witter and I really think the concept behind the book has a lot of potential. It would have been better if the dialogue had taken place over a longer span of time. 99% of people do not talk about all their deepest darkest secrets and trials after meeting someone an hour ago. I just think too much information was crammed into each scene instead of naturally playing out over time.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was ok

Zij, vrmlg pagantqueen, komt uit een huwelijk en heeft een zoon. Hij is de kok waar zij verliefd op was. Hij was ook verliefd op haar, maar zij zat in een relatie.
Begon erg leuk. Daarna lang gewacht op de ontknoping. Toen die eenmaal kwam, ging het verhaal onnodig langer door. Wel fijn dat op het eind alles afgerond wordt. Ook met ex.

[Nelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

To much of this book was retelling stories and situations from the past and while a stranger, or so she thought was in the room. Also, it's a little unrealistic that family and / or friends would keep that secret. It came together at the end but a little too late.

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.75 stars.

The writing is definitely not for me but this book has several of my favorite tropes which kept me reading to the end. Unlikely to read author again.

[Melania Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm undecided about this book. There are things that I liked and things that I found hard to belive (and I'm not talking about the main plot point). 3.75 stars.

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel quite generous with.the 3 as the main premise (which I won't tell you because of spoilers) was utterly ridiculous.