While I’m not a huge fan of sports romance or football, I loved this story because of the deep point-of-view (heroine’s) and the writing style which IWhile I’m not a huge fan of sports romance or football, I loved this story because of the deep point-of-view (heroine’s) and the writing style which I found similar to Charlotte Stein’s. Also, because unconventional MMF relationship (yippee!) It had a fast-paced plot, plenty of tension, interesting characters and felt believable....more
Loved the dialogue in this book, sparkling, witty stuff. And the heroine is a gorgeous, stylish, fluffy cupcake, caring but troubled. Just before ILoved the dialogue in this book, sparkling, witty stuff. And the heroine is a gorgeous, stylish, fluffy cupcake, caring but troubled. Just before I had to step in and give her toughness lessons, she worked it out for herself. Hero makes a satisfying journey from self-centred to less self-centred. Many laughs in between. If you like humour with your romance, this book is for you....more
Pull on your asbestos mittens and panties before reading Sweet Agony and don’t, whatever you do, wear or drink anything flammable. Because when yourPull on your asbestos mittens and panties before reading Sweet Agony and don’t, whatever you do, wear or drink anything flammable. Because when your lady parts spontaneously combust you don’t want any accelerants nearby or you could lose the whole bedroom to fire damage.
The particular cocktail mix that’s going to act as such excellent accelerant and leave scorch marks on your bed covers is the following:
• One diabolically hot but damaged hero who is so desperate to push others away it’s delicious • One sassy, hilarious heroine experiencing freedom for the first time • Forced proximity inside a ‘gothic’ house • Dark secrets • So much push-pull sexual tension the reader risks friction burns.
The thing I adored most about this book was the hero. He puts the ‘mudgeon’ in curmudgeon and says the sorts of things that a robot or alien might:
‘If you recall, I observed you walking up to my front door. It was not exactly difficult to extrapolate based on the variables at hand. You only managed to step over my gate by standing on tiptoe, which tells me that you are no more than five foot three, and once you had traversed it I could clearly see the distance in inches between each of your hips and the edges of said gate. As I know the exact width it was fairly easy from there to surmise your lower measurements, and only a little more difficult to ascertain what sort of bodice you might require. As you quite clearly wear a bra two sizes too small for you, it took me a little longer to absolutely be sure, but, judging by your relative self-consciousness, the way you hold your arms when you walk and the other parameters of your body, I believe I have the right of it’
I always feel that reading one of Charlotte Stein’s books is like taking a dip in her mind—and her mind is a fun place to paddle around in. It’s full of whimsy and slightly wicked humour, just like her heroine (Molly) who is entranced by the hero’s use of words like ‘reprobate’ and ‘disillusion’ and his voice so lusty with syllables that the she feels that “his sentence should smoke a cigarette, directly after the full stop.”
What I loved about this story is that it’s the most unusual of courtships because one half of the couple can’t bear to be looked at, let alone touched. Hero and heroine initially progress their banter through correspondence (despite the fact they share a house because she’s hired as a live-in housekeeper) which moves from criticism of her sweeping technique to playful letters about hair thievery. And, in a reverse of the usual order of intimacy, the first encounter between hero and heroine is a graphic, rather kinky encounter, and from there they gradually work up to more ‘normal’ things like kissing.
I’ve never read a writer more brilliant at emotive description than Charlotte Stein, and her descriptive brilliance really shines in Sweet Agony where she manages to put a fresh slant on the gothic mansion at the same time as revealing much about her protagonist:
“The whole front of it is the kind of grey you only get after natural disasters. Some apocalypse happened to this place and this place alone, and now it sits like a bad tooth in a mouth of pristine white ones. It even seems vaguely crooked, in a way that should be impossible. The other houses are ramrod straight. There is no space for it to slant to the side—it just looks as though it does.
Malevolence is probably making it happen. I think malevolence might be making a lot of things happen. All the windows are blank, black eyes, and each one of them seems to follow me wherever I go. I glance away for a second and can almost feel them, pressing into my body. Then I turn back and they pretend to be all innocent again.”
While the heroine initially finds the hero’s house spooky, she’s anything but spooked when she sees her attic bedroom and it’s there that we get an insight into what her former life was like when she reveals that she used to sleep on folded-over towels and two sleeping bags. She’s also delighted by his library and the two bond over their love of books despite the unpromising start to their relationship.
It becomes clear as the story unfolds that Molly’s employer’s house is her escape from her family, and that her employer—despite his hilarious gruffness and odd ways—is the first person to show her real kindness and to appreciate her whimsical and bookish bent. Likewise, Molly is the first prospective employee the hero is unable to frighten away and in an odd way the two are perfect for one another because they see through the other’s pretenses and value what is unique about the other.
This story is filled with all the fresh, wickedly funny dialogue, exciting interior monologue and usual keen observation that I’ve come to expect of Charlotte Stein, but this one has an extra something to it (perhaps Molly’s instinctive kindness and the way she manages the hero’s wound) and I admit that this may be my favourite book of hers so far. ...more
We’ve all had them, those pleasant fantasies where Brad Pitt runs into you at the day spa and refuses to allow you leave until he’s given you a fullWe’ve all had them, those pleasant fantasies where Brad Pitt runs into you at the day spa and refuses to allow you leave until he’s given you a full mani and pedi, or aliens that look like Chris Evans abduct you for a ménage a cinque, or a hot wookie forces you to accompany him to ballroom dancing lessons…
You know, whatever blows your hair back.
But I can’t imagine any other author getting away with such an outrageous plot (and making me like it) as that in Taken, especially in such a short romance (ten chapters). The plot of Taken is essentially that of a young woman falling for her ‘accidental’ captor, and the ‘capture fantasy’ is alive and well here, albeit a modern version where both adults are aware of what’s going on psychologically and why it’s turning them on, and both are also aware of the risks and understand the concept of consent.
In case you’re young and sheltered (in which case, boy, are you on the wrong website) a ‘capture fantasy’ involves a woman or a man (but more commonly a woman) kidnapped or held against their will and subject to the wicked will of their captor.
Yes, kids, that’s a thing. A submission and dominance kind of thing (although earlier romance novels never explicitly acknowledged that).
In the romantic version, captor and captive end up living happily ever after, or at least happy for now, while the non-romantic version looks and smells a lot like rape (albeit some fantasy version of that). It’s a trope that goes waaaay back –think of all those historical novels where maidens are captured by pirates, sheiks, clansmen, highwaymen and almost anyone else with a penis. And yet the trope also has a bazillion contemporary faces, both in speculative fiction (where many a handsome alien or dragon shifter takes a captive) and erotic romance, where the fantasy is often explicitly discussed and the scene negotiated.
My personal preference is for stories where consent is explicit and communication about fantasies takes place before any ambitious enactments, so I was glad that Taken fell into that category. I’m not a fan of bodice rippers anymore (though I was in my teens and will passionately defend them against any haters) and while I’ve tried erotic romances in which the boundaries of consent are pushed or disregarded (e.g. Wanderlust) I find them too disturbing to enjoy. So I was pleased that the ‘capturing’ in Taken was accidental, and that the captor was an unwilling one.
Just how ‘accidental’ can handcuffs be, I hear you ask.
Well, Johann, owner of a bookstore (and right there we know this hero is gonna be alright because he owns and runs a bookstore) catches Rosie’s almost-friend trying to start a fire in his store but captures Rosie instead of Marnie (the world’s worst friend). He intends to hold Rosie in the basement just long enough for the police to arrive—before realizing that since he has a rap sheet the fact that he’s locked a young woman in his basement might not work out too well for him. He then panics and makes the situation worse by handcuffing her to a bed so he can leave her there while he thinks about his predicament. But when he calms down and returns to unlock the cuffs and free her, the key breaks off in the lock.
Don’t you hate that?
Stein does more than just get away with this plot, she does a great job with it considering how easy it would be for the hero captor to come across as creepy and sleazy. Instead he comes off as adorably overwhelmed, both by the heroine and their situation, and his own awkwardness.
I could keep talking like this until the end of time. He just told me that his favourite book in the store is a rare edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales where the wolf in Red Riding Hood has an erection, which is awesome for two reasons. The first is that he quite clearly loves the old gruesome versions of the stories with everyone getting their feet cut off and strangling themselves with hair. And the second is his awkwardness when he realizes he just said erection to me.
I fully enjoyed Rosie’s needling banter and inner monologue, which manages to be innocent and wicked at the same time, and frequently hilarious. (Don’t ask me about the hair-trigger vagina.)
"Unintentionally filthy things are still waiting around every corner, just waiting to spring on us when we least expect them. He thought he was just innocently talking to me about books—the saftest subject there is.
Then bam, suddenly we have a rampant cock right in the middle of it."
And…
"I was starting to think he really might be that one—you know the guy you read about in romance novels who just gets you and sees you want a spanking before you know you do—and it’s kind of a letdown to think he might not be."
Given the capture fantasy element, the gradual unfolding of the couple’s relationship (and exploration of kink) is unexpectedly sweet, as is the level of concern they show for one another's welfare. Since I prefer romances where the characters treat one another well, I found that satisfying and was happy with the ending for the two characters (unique as they are).
I think this is one of the more unusual books by Charlotte Stein that I’ve read, both due to the way she turns the capture fantasy on its head by creating an unwilling, concerned captor, and the way she’s uses language to dramatic effect. Examples:
"Your cardigan alone screams my dick is bigger than your arm."
And: “Why do you want to sit down?”
“Oh I don’t know. So we can share stories, talk about old times, learn little details about each other the way people usually do before they turn into angry bears in heat.”
And: "…in the absence of sex, everything somehow becomes sex. It’s like sex rushes in to fill the sex void."
Yes, this book is different but I love different, and I know there are plenty of other romance readers out there who do too. I always read Charlotte Stein for the amazing language she uses, so if you're a word lover you'll get this book.
P.S.
If you decide to go ahead and read it, make sure you look up the name Francis Dolarhyde (if you don’t already recognize it) so that you’ll get the joke that’s neatly slipped in somewhere in the middle of the book....more
Shocking fact: I don’t particularly like children, and I like them in romance novels even less. It’s therefore a testimony to the author’s writingShocking fact: I don’t particularly like children, and I like them in romance novels even less. It’s therefore a testimony to the author’s writing skill that I liked this book a lot.
Reece, the nanny (or manny, if you will) is a delicious hero. A hot blend of expert nanny, former fighter and passionate lover—an ingenious, magical mix of alpha and beta.
And I felt for Audrey, still suffering emotional frostbite from her loveless family after so many years.
Once Audrey and Reece give in to their attraction despite their employer-employee relationship, the intensity of their relationship is breath-taking. Which then makes it all the more devastating when it seems things aren’t going to work out. Audrey’s lack of faith in herself and their relationship causes her to sabotage their happiness, and she reminded me of the creature in the Stephen Crane poem that gnaws upon its own heart and declares it enjoys the bitter taste.
Polly and Les serve as wonderful secondary characters, as do Reece’s sisters and Barrett the sperm-donor dad, offering comic relief during some of the more dark moments of the relationship.
Ainslie is another writer, like Charlotte Stein, who cares about words, and I found myself highlighting the more delicious metaphors in the same way an antique book collector runs their hands over limited edition tomes.
Here’s one of my favourite quotes: She chose him all the way from his boat size feet to his quiet domestic heroism. She made a cocoon of them, an alternate world for the two of them and Mia to exist in.
I also enjoyed the way the author played with conventions and stereotypes (e.g. how parents and carers should act, physically mis-matched couples) and explored deeper themes around workplace discrimination and sexual harassment.
Unsuitable definitely delivers the hyper-real romance that the author is known for. You won’t find any cardboard characters, over-the-top dialogue or improbable scenarios to choke on, just warmth, wit and an intelligent love story. ...more
I loved this fun story by Sarah Belle, it had lots of laughs and some unexpected twists. Some of my favourite lines from the book:
- life is a "big,I loved this fun story by Sarah Belle, it had lots of laughs and some unexpected twists. Some of my favourite lines from the book:
- life is a "big, fat pile of ash and dust and crap, from which only the bald chicken of bad luck will emerge rather than the phoenix of rebirth." - "...he's so gorgeous. Look, he's left little puddles of sex appeal on the floor behind him. I'm tempted to go bathe in one." - "It was the most erotic episode of oral hygiene imaginable." - "He can polish my vajazzling any time." - "His breathing could rival that of Darth Vader." - "...the problem with the internet is that it allows lovelorn sad sacks such as myself to pore over images of our lust objects for an indeterminate amount of time, pining for what we've lost in a manner that is not conducive to healing and moving forward."...more
There were so many things I liked about this earthy, energetic little number. I found it a fabulous, totally fabulous read.
The book is set mostly inThere were so many things I liked about this earthy, energetic little number. I found it a fabulous, totally fabulous read.
The book is set mostly in Australia and in the time before Amy's story (in Irrepressible You) which makes it a prequel. The story centers around Jo, Amy's older sister. Jo is an interesting character who works on an oil rig as an engineer. Her speciality is lubrication. (Snigger if you must.) I found the detail about life on the oil rigs fascinating, along with the rig humour and terms roughnecks use, and can see how Jo would have to develop a thick skin in such a cramped, blokey environment.
She’s one tough bunny, but she has a softer side despite being wildly protective of her little sister, her underwear-eating kitty, and her privacy. Privacy is important to Jo because she doesn’t want anyone knowing the truth about her dad. He’s a violent alcoholic who has managed to maintain his reputation as a ‘good bloke’ in the small country town while making his family’s life a misery. Jo and Amy escaped the house when young but constantly worry about how he’s treating their mother. The author captures the two-faced deception of the father very well.
Jo’s father works for Stephen’s farming family and Jo and Stephen have known each other since childhood, although without Stephen or his family realizing what was going on in Jo’s family. While Jo has a dark past, her friendship with Scott and sister Amy keep the tone of the book mostly light, as do the problems of Stephen (the hero of the story) and his family.
Much of the story revolves around Jo and Stephen overcoming their past, revealing their secrets and changing for the better before they can come together as a couple, and the story is told with great warmth and much laugh-out-loud dialogue. Some of my favourite dialogue included the term "bare-knuckle bitching" and the following when talking to her cat:
“I’d love to know what Amy feeds you, but I suspect it’s her pansy ex-boyfriends, and we wouldn’t want to knowingly be accessories to murder, now would we?”
Readers will love the characters and the dialogue, and the funny scenes sprinkled throughout the story. At the same time, the characters and their core conflicts are very believable.
And the sex scenes? Oh, my, smokin' hot.
(Disclaimer, I received an advance copy of the book for review purposes, and am a fellow Naughty Ninja. But I still know a good book when I read one.)...more
There were so many things I liked about this earthy, energetic little number. I found it a fabulous, totally fabulous read.
The book is set mostly inThere were so many things I liked about this earthy, energetic little number. I found it a fabulous, totally fabulous read.
The book is set mostly in Australia and in the time before Amy's story (in Irrepressible You) which makes it a prequel. The story centers around Jo, Amy's older sister. Jo is an interesting character who works on an oil rig as an engineer. Her speciality is lubrication. (No sniggering or jokes, please.) I found the detail about life on the oil rigs fascinating, along with the rig humour and terms roughnecks use, and can see how Jo would have to develop a thick skin in such a cramped, blokey environment.
She’s one tough bunny, but she has a softer side despite being wildly protective of her little sister, her underwear-eating kitty, and her privacy. Privacy is important to Jo because she doesn’t want anyone knowing the truth about her dad. He’s a violent alcoholic who has managed to maintain his reputation as a ‘good bloke’ in the small country town while making his family’s life a misery. Jo and Amy escaped the house when young but constantly worry about how he’s treating their mother. The author captures the two-faced deception of the father very well.
Jo’s father works for Stephen’s farming family and Jo and Stephen have known each other since childhood, although without Stephen or his family realizing what was going on in Jo’s family. While Jo has a dark past, her friendship with Scott and sister Amy keep the tone of the book mostly light, as do the problems of Stephen (the hero of the story) and his family.
Much of the story revolves around Jo and Stephen overcoming their past, revealing their secrets and changing for the better before they can come together as a couple, and the story is told with great warmth and much laugh-out-loud dialogue. Some of my favourite dialogue included the term "bare-knuckle bitching" and the following when talking to her cat:
“I’d love to know what Amy feeds you, but I suspect it’s her pansy ex-boyfriends, and we wouldn’t want to knowingly be accessories to murder, now would we?”
Readers will love the characters and the dialogue, and the funny scenes sprinkled throughout the story. At the same time, the characters and their core conflicts are very believable.
And the sex scenes? Oh, my, smokin' hot.
(Disclaimer, I received an advance copy of the book for review purposes, and am a fellow Naughty Ninja. But I still know a good book when I read one.) ...more
If an order of chivalry were to be awarded (let's call it the Order of the Clit) for erotic writing, I would be pinning that medal to Stein's chestIf an order of chivalry were to be awarded (let's call it the Order of the Clit) for erotic writing, I would be pinning that medal to Stein's chest right now and calling her Dame Charlotte. I'm awarding The Order of the Clit (for meritorious literary service to readers' lady parts) to Intrusive for several reasons. Yes, it's true I'm a Stein junkie, I crave her deep narrative point of view like a stoner craves their morning wake and bake. But this particular story twisted my biscuit for a number of reasons.
Sex scenes: smoking, point-a-fire-extinguisher-at-my-loins-right-now hot.
Language: Charlotte Stein uses the freshest, most inventive language (whether its metaphors or straight description) of any romance writer I know. Sometimes I suspect she's Nabokov's secret love child.
Delicious gothic elements: The love story comes wrapped inside a gothic bow. The heroine (Beth) approaches the hero's sinister home with foreboding, convinced he's dognapped her dog, and typical gothic elements such as sleepwalking and dark secrets make an appearance. Why is this good? First, I love the contrast offered by horror and romance, and second, it sets up a delicious double tension. Even when hero and heroine seem to be inching towards their HEA, we can't relax because we just know the sleepwalking and dark secrets are going to bite someone on the butt at any second.
Characters: Beth's narrative voice is so full of self-doubt, incredulity and humour that I doubt any reader could resist her. As for the hero, Noah, well, he was a delicious change from the ocean of Alphas (and alpha-holes) out there. An intellectual, he's full of the dark torment and vulnerability that comes with genius and insight, and his past experience as a profiler threatens to destroy any chance he (or Beth) has at a relationship or happiness. He struck me as a mix of Will Graham from Hannibal and Sherlock from Elementary all rolled into one big, fat lady-boner. in a word, delicious. Also, both characters are deeply scarred and it's a delight to follow their progress as they heal and open up to one another.
Twists: From the riveting first chapter until the end, jolt after jolt lands as the surprises keep rolling through. One of the things I like about the author's writing is the way she maintains tension throughout the story, using every opportunity to seed uncertainty in the heroine and the reader.
Feels: Lastly, this book should come with a warning label for those who don't like emotion (Warning: this product contains feels) because for a 50k story, Intrusion sure packs a lot of emotional punch, no doubt due to the author's trademark deep POV which allows the reader to feel that they're actually residing within Beth's head. I certainly enjoyed being in Beth's head, and after reading the teaser at the back for Forbidden, now I can't wait to read that too. ...more
Loading...
