Review: Sweet and Tasty, with some Bite to it
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 09 19, 2013
Who doesn't love cake? I can almost always find room for a slice when it's this tasty.Although, the frequently nibbled sweets in this novella were more macaroons than cake.Disclaimer #1 - I received a free ARC of this novella via NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an honest review.Disclaimer #2 - I'm (barely) acquainted with Lauren Dane; I hosted her during her Once and Again blogtour, and enjoyed drinks at the same table for a few hours last year.What I loved about this novella: the romance has developed slowly; at the novella opens, Wren, an art school student and part-time bicycle messenger in Seattle, and Gregori, the famous Russian artist she frequently delivers to, have known each other for a year, and been flirting for a year. They still do not hop right into bed, but the tension and attraction between them is allowed to build deliciously.Gregori is a multi-media young artist - paintings, sculpture, and more, and cultivates a bad-boy persona that Wren sees right through, but also doesn't judge; she understand it's necessary for him to put on a mask as artiste from time to time. Wren herself is an up-and-coming graphic artist who, unlike many of Gregori's hangers-on, isn't trying to milk him for contacts or assistance. She's grittily determined to make it on her own. Wren is also sexually uninhibited and unafraid to pursue what she wants - and she wants Gregori. Gregori is very attracted to Wren, but he's afraid of ruining their friendship, so he tries to keep her at arm's distance with tea, cake, and macaroons.The tension sizzles, and the sex scenes are smokin' hot; my only problem is sometimes Dane switches POV in the middle of a sex scene and it's hard to tell whose head I am now in. This was exacerbated for me by some formatting issues - missing paragraph breaks, some words that ran together - which I am assuming will be corrected before the final version is released.I also liked the intimate friendship among Wren, her cousin Kelsey, and her roommate Zoe, the girlish sharing of all the juicy details. The style is light, it's a very fast read, and very sexy. If you like tattooed artists with bright red Mohawks and sexy accents, and confident, bold heroines who have their own interests, you'll love this story.