Vixenwriter

First - Lara Adrian’s Midnight Awakening

Right off, I need to say that I think Lara Adrian’s Breed books are just amazing, some of the best vampire books out there and they deserve so much more attention than others in the genre do!

In Midnight Awakening we get Tegan’s story. Tegan, the wounded hero we’ve watched over the last two books and wondered about. Adrian gives his story in such stark, unflinching writing and draws the story so taut it makes you breathless.

Just totally well done. The romantic elements with Elise, who you think is so fragile and soft but also carries deep wounds is filled with great tension and chemistry. Wonderful push and pull and a really realistic HEA.

I loved it and really came away thinking it was the best of the series so far!

Charlaine Harris - An Ice Cold Grave

I pretty much have loved everything Harris has written from her cozy mysteries to Sookie but Harper took me a book or two to really begin to enjoy (although I liked the first two, I didn’t love them). But I think Harris has really hit her stride with An Ice Cold Grave.

The big issue in the book is a major spoiler so I won’t go into it other than to say I think Harris handled a particularly thorny issue very well and I was totally happy with the result.

She’s so good at ramping up the fear and stress of the mystery element that by the end I was just as itchy to leave that town as Harper and Tolliver were.

LL Foster - Servant: The Awakening

This book is fabulously dark and uncomfortable and I think Foster took some great risks in the creation of this story rife with moral gray spots and very big questions without any real answers.

First off, if you’re expecting a romance, well why? She’s using a different name here to mark it as different. This is not a romance novel. This is not an easy book. There’s great romantic subtext but Gaby is a totally refreshing change from a lot of the heroines I’ve read and I appreciated that.

In fact, I thing Gaby’s character is what makes this book so inherently readable. The juxtapostion of her innocence with a woman who hunts evil down and kills it with her bare hands is incredibly fascinating. Her loneliness leaps off the page. Her mission is so singular, so stark, just being in Gaby’s head made me ache in points.

Anyway, I will most definitely be back for the next book. Don’t expect Lori Foster here, expect something totally different and you’ll be rewarded.

I haven’t done this one in a bit because I haven’t had much reading time but I have managed to get some reading done as my brain is still racing from nightly writing and I’m trying to relax.

Several of them had been in my TBR Pile for some time and I finally got to them and I wasn’t sorry:

Jaci Burton’s Wild, Wicked and Wanton - Loved it. I’ve been reading Jaci for some years now, in fact she was one of the first authors I tried at EC and I’ve just always thought she’s really talented. In Wild, Wicked and Wanton she gives us a trio of novellas centered on three friends and a bet. Loads of fantasy variety here, you’ve got some menage, voyeurism, exhibitionism, some D/s - lots of great stuff and all done well. Burton also manages to give the reader characters they can like, which is often a difficult task in a novella. The women and their friendship is lovely as well and I liked the variety of ages and walks of life too.

Jaci Burton, Eden Bradley and Lisa Renee Jones’ Exclusive - Another anthology, this one featuring three very fine authors. I’m extremely picky about BDSM themed books because well if you’ve read this blog any length of time you’ll know I think most authors miss what I find so interesting about D/s which is internal and emotional and about trust and nto just spanking. Bradley shines here in Sanctuary. There are moments when we’re inside the heroine’s head and it’s a true thing of beauty. Emotional and striking. I liked how she portrayed the hero as well. I’m not always a fan of sex club based stories but this one is so wonderfully internal, the point is really about the two people and the path they’re on.

Burton gives us Wild Night, following up with a character she introduces us to in WWW. What I liked here, was the unconventional way Grace and Mike come together. I think what I enjoyed most was the idea not that opposites attract (which I do love) but that sometimes what we need is someone who mirrors us in many ways. Mike and Grace are a lot alike, lots of defenses, lots of walls and as they learn each other, they learn about themselves.

Lisa Renee Jones Purple Magic throws a really wonderful paranormal ending to the anthology. She gives us Jolene, a half vampire needing help to save her human friend from the clutches of a pretty evil vampire and so she goes to Drago, a slayer and one of those fabulously dark and reluctant heroes that when he gets all sweet you melt because it’s so genuine. Jolene is loyal and wary but also not stupid when it comes to depending on the experts to do their job. Sexy and really well done and I hope to see more from the other slayers we met.

Rachel Caine’s Thin Air - oh wow. Seriously, just wow. If you’ve read the series you were made of stone if the end of the last book didn’t move you (for me, to tears). But this one opens with danger and action and really sucks you right into the book and you don’t get much chance to breathe until halfway through and then something else happens! You don’t quite know who to trust and neither do the characters. It makes for a really fast paced and edgy read and I really loved it.

Despite my world being filled with squee over my own books, I’ve got to say I’ve read a lot of really good books written by OTHER people in the last two weeks too!

Ebook wise - I read Lorelei James’ Rode Hard, Put Up Wet. Now I’m super picky about westerns. It’s not normally a genre I seek out but I do like Lorelai’s voice (as well as Beth Williamson’s and I love her stuff too- Happy Birthday Beth!) so I grabbed this one after seeing an excerpt.

James gives the readers two concurrent romances in the book and keeps them straight quite handily. I thought as I read it, “there’s no way I could do this so clearly” So you get four great characters with their own flaws and motivations and you also get to revisit characters from Long Hard Ride.

The sex? Muy marvelous and in plentiful and yet well written combinations. The story arc works, father and daughter with abandonment issues, boyfriend who feels left out, heroine who is in her late forties (yay!) who’s trying to start over after the loss of her husband two years before. Rode Hard is a really emotional and satisfying read.

Karen Marie Moning - Bloodfever

Wow. I closed this book totally disturbed and thoroughly satisfied. Moning takes a lot of chances with this second (and ultimately better and more engaging) in her Sidhe Seer series.

It’s hard when you’ve built up a readership doing one thing to veer off and do something totally different. And yet, Blood Fever picks up where Dark Fever leaves off and runs way dow the field.

This is one dark book. No kidding. Despite some funny dialog and light moments, the story is not for you if you’re wanting to be uplifted. It’s genuinely scary and truly horrifying in places.

It’s also compelling and one of the best dark fantasy novels I’ve read in a while. This is NOT a romance, I know she warns readers but I’ve read reviews where people have been angry about that. And still, romance or not, Blood Fever is a truly amazing book.

Susan Andersen - She’s Coming Undone

I love Susan Andersen and I recently had the opportunity to meet her briefly at a book signing and I have to tell you she’s a lovely woman.

That out of the way, She’s Coming Undone is a really wonderful romance! I wish authors would stop steering clear of characters in show business because, IMO, it’s such a fun subject and Andersen does a great job here.

She takes up the story of PJ - the thirteen year old runaway we met briefly in Hot and Bothered. Only now it’s fifteen years later and she’s a huge country singer who’s just fired her manager mother and Jared (the other teen who was also a runaway in Hot and Bothered) has come to babysit her on behalf of a record company worried she’ll bolt and leave their concert schedule in the lurch.

Excellently woven series of mistrust and misunderstandings, two extremely well defended characters who don’t quite understand themselves and a past that holds them together in a way nothing else can compare to or even break.

Of course Andersen gives you a glimpse of past characters you’ve loved (and I have loved her marines in this series) and gives great sexual tension and romance.

I totally recommend it and I’ve already read it again!

Rachel Gibson - Tangled Up in You

I think this is my favorite Gibson romance in some time. I love her voice and I keep up with her new releases but this one in particular wowed me.

Really well done flawed hero and heroine. Lots of pain from messed up childhoods. A fabulous and unique topic done from both perspectives - how often do you hear about the pain of the family of someone who murdered someone else?

Great small town setting. Wonderful sexual tension.

I thought the pacing of when and how the hero and heroine got together, were torn apart and got together again worked exceptionally well.

A really well done romance that’s lighthearted and yet deep and provocative all at once.

I realize I forgot to do this last week!

Let’s see - last night I started and finished Laurell K Hamilton’s A Lick of Frost and loved it. Seriously loved it. Now, I like LKH and I find the bashing bandwagon tedious and frankly if I don’t like an author I just don’t read her anymore but moving along - this book was well done. I won’t disagree with criticism that the sex in the last few years in her books hasn’t been used to move the plot anywhere and it’s often been with people you don’t care about. But in Frost, it was perfectly done and there for a reason. The plot was really interesting and with the exception of a slightly dodgy bit of manipulation of mythology at the end (which I’m not even frowning over really, I understand why she did it), I think this book is one of the best in the series. I wish it had been about a hundred pages longer but I’ve noticed a lot of hardback books in shorter lengths these days.

Anne Stuart - Shadows on Sunset - okay we’ve established how much I love Anne Stuart but I really loved this one. It’s right up there at the top of my AS faves I think. I loved the paranormal parts, loved the totally tragic storyline, loved the hero and I didn’t hate the heroine. Although, I have to say at the end, the hero didn’t suffer enough! Still, fabulous pacing, great sexual tension, just a great, great story.

While on vacation I read:

Eve Kenin - Driven -Each new Shomi novel I read convinces me more and more that this new line is one of the best things to happen to romance in a very long time.

Raina is a strong woman, smart, driven and on the run from a diabolical mand who threatens her very existence. She’s thrown into a situation where she ends up taking on a mysterious and sexy stranger who challenges her control.

Wizard is sexy and strong and utterly not what he seems and Kenin (Eve Silver) draws out his story with a fine hand. As well as she does the emotion between these two characters.

I’m not always a fan of the big reveal of original intent where the heroine finds something out, feels betrayed, runs off and the hero saves her sort of thing - but again, in the right hands, it works like it does here.

Nail biting action, a very well developed world and great characters make Driven an absolute must read.

Elizabeth Hoyt - The Raven Prince - In Anna Wren, we get a marvelously non-cliched heroine. A widow with some wounds but a backbone and a sense of humor.

In Edward - we get another non cliched hero - pockmarked with smallpox scars, he’s broody and has his own wounds.

The sexual tension between Anna and Edward is fabulous and builds in a careful and believable way and while I usually don’t go for the faked courtesan thing, it is a storyline I LOVE when it’s done right - and here it was a means to an end and done very well indeed.

Clever dialog, great characters - a really wonderful book.

Charlaine Harris - All Together Dead - I’ve been waiting for this one for a while now but haven’t had time to read it until last week. My verdict is a thumbs up

ATD is much more focused on the mystery elements of the story than any romance between Sookie and her men - which disappointed me but I think the rest of the story was written well enough I can wait for the next chapter.

We get more about Sookie, about her past, about her brother and the other people in her life and an unanswered query about why Sookie continues to involve herself with the supernaturals who obviously threaten her life and safety.

I’d really love to see more with Eric and to figure out what is going on with Quinn as well, but Harris ties up this story quite well, even as she asks more questions.

There are more but I need to finish getting ready for the Emerald City Con!

I’ve been writing and revising a lot so my reading has fallen behind but I have read some verra good stuff in the last weeks!

Maya Banks’ For Her Pleasure - this is Maya’s first offering from Berkley and aside from a gorgeous cover, it’s a really good book too. It’s three interconnected stories - or really two stories that are more like chapters and then another story. The first couple, or rather triad is made up of childhood friends, Kit, Ryder and Mac. Mac has been in love with Kit a long time and he and Ryder have protected her but Kit suffered through a violent assault and they’re all attempting to deal with it. Banks brings the threesome together in a lovely way. Banks weaves in some emotional issues for each one of the group and they carry over into the second chapter of their story as well. Nicely drawn tension and she deals with the workings of a contemporary menage quite well. The sex is varied and totally tingleworthy.

In Mia’s story, we get a full treatment of the woman we get a glimpse of in What She Needs. Jack finally gave in to his desire for Mia but then had to leave suddenly and disappear on an assignment. But Mia doesn’t know why he’s left and she’s now in a big jam and being used and threatened. Jack comes back into her life and has to deal with Mia’s heartbreak, her distrust and whatever she’s running from and won’t share with him. Again, skillfully drawn emotional tension and smoking hot chemistry and sexin.

Grab it. You won’t be sorry.

A Touch of Minx by Suzanne Enoch - Oh how I loved this book. I devoured it in one night! In this next chapter in the Sam and Rick story, Rick is dancing around wanting to marry Sam. In typical Sam and Rick fashion there is Rick pulling her closer, Sam liking it but knowing she’s letting her old life go so she’s freaked and pushes him back. Hot sex ensues followed by a deepening of intimacy between them and one less defense against Rick. It’s all written with clever dialog and touching scenes.

Tom Donner is really beginning to work my nerves though. He’s an ass and at this point, I’m just sick of his character and I wonder why Rick is his best friend when he spends so much time trash talking Sam.

We get some worry about Stoney and some fun, caperish goodness too. I totally recommend it.

Cindy Gerard - To The Edge - I hang my head in shame to tell you I hadn’t read any of her books! I know. But now I have a stack of the rest of her EDEN books because I really do love her voice.

To The Edge features a very well done push/pull romance story with an excellent suspense storyline as well. We’ve got Nolan, a former Army Ranger dealing, or rather not dealing, with a lot of guilt and feelings of failure for the men he couldn’t save. And Jillian, a socialite who at first glace seems shallow and silly but as we see, she’s much more than where she came from.

The scenes between them are tense and heartbreaking in parts and I think really, despite having such a strong male hero, it’s Jillian who shines here and who is, quite truthfully, a far stronger person than Nolan is.

Anway, I really enjoyed the book and my first Cindy Gerard won’t be my last.

Suzanne Enoch - Twice the Temptation this one does a dual novella treatment - half historical, half contemporary giving a tiny appetizer of Rick and Sam and Rick’s ancestor and his lady love.

I like Enoch’s historicals as well as her contemporaries and I really liked the book. I think Evangeline’s character really made the first novella shine. She’s a great character, funny and capable of self reflection. Nicely drawn chemistry and it worked for who these people were. And heck, how can you not like a Rick and Sam story?

A Little Night Music - Sarah Dale

I had this one in my TBR pile for a while. I’ve really enjoyed Cheek’s contemporaries and this book kept that streak going.

Hannah kisses her idol, rock star Nate when she’s a clumsy 17 year old but after she runs off in horror, she vows she’ll bed him one day.

So lo and behold, nine years later she’s a bigshot PR specialst handling celebrities who need a comeback and Nate has gone from the heights of success to rock bottom and is trying to make his way back.

Of course they have great chemistry from go and an intense physical relationship starts on the sly but the media can’t be far behind and Hannah feels she’ll have to choose between her job and the man she’s come to love.

I think Dale (who also writes under a few other names in several genres, all quite ably) takes a cliche and gives it life in this story.

This isn’t a young girl’s crush and an old has been - in Hannah and Nate, we’ve got two interesting and complicated people who have to really figure out who they are and what is truly important.

The sex is very well done (Dale also writes erotica with another pen name) and I came away really entertained. This is a truly well written erotic romance. I highly recommend it!

Emma Holly - Fairyville

I love Emma Holly. I think hers were the first true erotic novels I read with romantic elements. I’ve remained a fan as she transitioned into steampunk and paranormals but I’ve always loved her erotics best. I think this may be why I wasn’t shocked by the level of sexuality in the book, given her backlist, I assumed the book would have a lot of sexual content.

Fairyville is a great mix of paranormal and erotic. And make no mistake, Fairyville is an erotic with an HEA. I’ll say up front there is about 60% of the sexual interaction in the book that is male/male but IMO, few people write it as well as Holly and I thought she did a bang up job (um, no pun intended)

I want to say I think of many authors out there in the erotic romance/erotica genre, Emma Holly is a prime example of how it’s not about the specific combination of body parts but about the connection and emotion in the scene. When I read Fairyville, much as when I read Menage (the first Holly book I read and the book that changed my perspective on MM romance many years ago) - what caught me was the people, not their gender.

Zoe is a wonderfully likeable character who is unusual for a romance heroine (I’ll let you read it to see why). Magnus is a fabulous hero. The other cast of characters from an evil Fairy queen to the Alex (the changeling PI) and Bryan, his human lover are all flawed and interesting.

I wanted more of the little fairies and of the fairy realm and I hope Holly takes us back there soon.

A fun, sexy read.

Suzanne Enoch - Twice The Temptation

While I enjoy Enoch’s historicals, it’s really her contemporary series with Sam and Rick that makes me seek her out so when I saw this half and half historical/contemp about a cursed diamond that featured Sam and Rick, I grabbed it.

I rather enjoyed the first novella, the historical one featuring Rick’s ancestor and his heroine. I think what I liked most was the way the heroine was far more complex than we first understand. It takes a lot to maneuver that much in a novella.

And of course, having all the background on Sam and Rick in previous books, the second novella flowed better because the world, etc is already established.

Great sexual chemistry between them and Sam and Rick are fabulous characters!

A really fun read and now I must get to A Touch of Minx - a full length Sam and Rick story.

This has been a great week for book lovers!

Today at Ellora’s Cave - Bona Fide Liar by Red Garnier releases!

Alex will do whatever it takes to keep male coworkers away from Carly. Who cares if she hates his guts? He wants her bad. He can barely believe his eyes when Carly sways seductively toward him and speaks the words he’s been longing to hear. Her place. Bring the plastics. There really must be a god! It’s finally time to make Carly his—for real this time.

Carly has heard her share of lies, but the ones spilling out of Alexander’s lips beat them all. The gall of him, spreading nasty rumors of them doing all manner of kinky things—even if she has dreamed about it. Carly’s determined to pay him back, and she’s wasting no time putting her perfect plan into action.

Red is one of my favorite up and comers! I think in a year or two she’s gonna make it big. I love her voice and this one is in my TBR pile (I would have read it already but I had to finish up a revision - which I did last night). Anyway, I’ll be reviewing it when I do you can bet on it.

And on Wednesday - another favorite Mandy Roth released Demonic Desires from Ellora’s Cave!

She might look fragile, but Ava Fenaly is fierce. She knows a thing or two about magik, and she knows exactly what she’s doing when she summons a demon in her bedroom. Well, almost. Ava is convinced that the exhilarating, almost terrifying night of passion that follows is all a dream. It has to be, because she’s dead set against revisiting her past—and the horrors she left behind long ago.

For the last three-hundred-plus years, Donatus Manlian has been living a peaceful life. Lonely, but peaceful. When the demon he has kept carefully locked within for centuries finally breaks free and responds to Ava’s call, the peace—and the loneliness—are gone. Now Donatus is forced to revisit tragedies long buried as he protects Ava from the evil that pursues her. But another evil lies within him—and now that it’s been awakened, the demon wants free.

No secret I love Mandy’s writing and this one and Guardian are in my TBR file too!

And wow, look at the list of authors in the newest Caveman Anthology - Seasons of Seduction III!

Six of EC’s really fabulous authors (and two of my personal uber faves Charli Teglia and NJ Walters)

Sunshine for a Vampire By N.J. Walters
Sunshine DeMarco is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed vampire who just doesn’t fit in with her own people. She doesn’t really like the whole vampire lifestyle — the opulent surroundings and overindulgence in everything from food to drink to blood. But even she has family and social obligations.

Reality intrudes and Sunshine flees, but she hasn’t seen the last of her mystery lover.

I Was an Alien’s Love Slave By Charlene Teglia
Micki Sloane needs a hero and she needs him now. She’s got a deadline, writer’s block and no inspiration. What to do? Wish on a star.

Keelan Os’tana has been seeking his bondmate, the one woman who is on his wavelength — literally. He answers Micki’s mental call by beaming her up into erotic adventure beyond her wildest imaginings. Her options? Form the permanent telepathic bond with Keelan or go home and write for the tabloids. “I Was an Alien’s Love Slave” is a sure seller, but Keelan tempts her to live the fantasy instead.

But look, the other four? Fabulous too. Go and check it out!

Last but way not least - Snowbound by Larissa Ione from Samhain

Thanks to a devastating medical diagnosis, ski patroller Sean Trenton has endured two years of celibacy. Two long years that have chipped away at his confidence. Now, with the career opportunity of a lifetime on the line, he’s ready to remedy the celibacy situation, and sexy snowbunny Robyn Montgomery is just what the doctor ordered.

Unfortunately, the last thing reliable, intense radio station manager Robyn Montgomery wants in her suddenly turbulent professional and personal life is a thrill-seeking former Olympic skier—even if he is a total hottie. She’s had it with guys who hog the spotlight and leave her in the shadows. So why is it that even an icy blizzard can’t temper the combustible heat between them?
I’ve had this one on my TBB list forever so I can’t wait to wade through all the other stuff on my to do list to get to this one!

I haven’t had a lot of reading time during the week because I’ve been working on revisions and fighting a cold but last weekend I had a Mandy Roth binge and it was quite satisfying.

First Date with Destiny - which is a Mandy Roth/Michelle Pillow book - love it. First of all, I’m working on two four author anthologies. I’m not sharing a story with anyone but just dealing with shared world stuff is complicated. These two share a book and it’s seamless. Excellent job, funny, short and sexy story. Totally brightened my afternoon.

Another great example of their joint writing is Red Light Specialists - futuristic and verra hot. This one is a novel so you get more of them to love.

Then I moved on to Pike’s Peak - a paranormal novella in her League of Unnatural Guardians series. Whoo, so you get Pike, a shifter and a well, superhero essentially and his jones for his friend’s younger sister. But Adira wants him too, even though to be claimed by a werewolf isn’t your ordinary declaration of love. She comes back as an adult and the League wants her to join them. Great tension for a short, really clever, funny dialog. Really well done!

The Advisor’s Apprentice is a lovely fantasy short! writing short takes a certain skillset, not one I have very often but Mandy Roth has it in spades. This story is a nicely done character piece, the sex is in proportion to the story and I really liked it!

And lastly, A View to A Kill with what I think is a very hot cover and seriously, if that’s backfat, what do we say about the rest of the country because that dude can’t possibly possess more than 8% bodyfat. Anyway, Sachin is a bird shifter of sorts from another plane of reality and he’s on earth when he saves a teenager from the same fate her murdered mother was unable to avoid. But what he didn’t bargain for was falling in love with her and realizing she’s his mate.

Excellent tension! Great sex. I liked Sachin and Paige a lot. A really great read.

I also read Warprize, the third book in the series and I think it’s my favorite in the series. It took some chances with the fantasy romance trope but it totally worked.

Patti O’Shea’s In the Midnight Hour - I’ve been a fan of Patti O’Shea since I read Ravyn’s Flight many years ago and she continues to write great stories! In The Midnight Hour is no exception.

In her first TOR paranormal romance, O’Shea introduces a whole new universe. This story features Ryne, a gineal (magical law enforcement of a type) and a cursed PI - Deke, whom is freed by Ryne’s magic.

The heart of the book is really Ryne’s struggle to deal with the responsibility of her power and the need to rely on gray areas to do her job. Her attraction to Deke is complicated by her own personal issues and past abuse at the hands of her former mentor.

O’Shea handles the complicated pasts of both characters and the seriously fabulous villian really well and the story is quite engaging.

A great opener to what promises to be a (another) wonderful series from O’Shea.

Michelle Pillow’s Along For the Ride - I was fortunate to have Michelle send me an ARC of her second book in the Matthews Sisters series and features Megan, the cop who is outwardly solid, sure of herself and set in her ways. But inwardly, that’s not so true and Pillow gives readers a nicely flawed, but very realistic heroine. Ryan, the hero is smitten from the moment he first sees her but he’s got such an uphill battle! Not just to gain her romantic affections but mainly to open herself up to him emotionally. The struggle between them is an internal one, a refreshing change from romances where the threat is external. The chemistry is good and the sex is fabulous!

The Matthews family is wonderfully quirky and I love books that feature families - both parents are lovely opposites and all the sisters are interesting and I definitely can’t wait to read about the remaining single Matthews sisters! You need to grab this one and the first one - Bit By the Bug (featuring Kat, another Matthews sister)!

Elizabeth Vaughan’s Warlord - the third book in the series and I think, my favorite! I loved how Vaughan takes the reader on a totally unexpected journey. I don’t want to give spoilers but I highly recommend not just this book but the entire series. I love fantasy romance that really sweeps the reader into somewhere she never expected to to. Lara is an amazing heroine and her connection to Kier is beautiful. Her character arc over the series is fantastic.

Oh and let me add my Red Garnier festival, LOL. I’ve been meaning to talk about her books for ages so here you go.

Spin Devil - this is a raw, hard and fast novella from EC and I quite enjoyed it. The beginning had me a bit on edge and as I say, it’s very raw but Red smooths it out and makes it all right if you just hang in there. I dug it and of course I wanted it to be longer, LOL. However, that’s the nature of a novella, it’s short and if you’re left wanting more, wanting to know more about the characters, the author did a good job. Garnier gives the reader a short time on a beach with some friends and a little devil doll. She makes every very naughty word count.

Divine Assistant - SO far, every single Torrid Tarot offering I’ve read has been fab and this one is in my top three! I loved this novella! I have a thing about the power of certain cliches and office sex is one of them (and I used it in Sudden Desire because I love it so). Garnier gives us Lucy Divine, smart, well educated MBA who gets what she thinks is a dream job with uber business god Patrick Holden. But Patrick is an arrogant ass who doesn’t like blonde hair, her body and seems to want to fill her day with meaningless errands. She’s come all the way to NYC for this job and it’s so not what she envisioned and why does the jerk have to be so damned hot too?

But of course, Patrick is actually arrogant and used to getting his own way but his behavior isn’t distaste, it’s his inner battles to keep from laying one on Miss Divine.

Garnier does a fabulous job here with the small details that make characters work - personality quirks and great dialog. The sex is, wheee, whoo, guh, hot! The back and forth is clever and you can see the two drawing ever more inevitably toward being together.

Add bitchy secretaries, a stuffy butler and a hilarious mother in town to visit and Divine Assistant is a really engaging story! Go Red, you kick ass.