Review: Satisfaction definitely suits me.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 15, 2014
Sarah Mayberry writes in this steady, mature way that always hits the spot. Her characters are always well-rounded and layered and real--her heroes I always find swoon-worthy for being simpatiko, and her heroines are sexy and self-sufficient. This might as well be my standard opening for her every story.We are clued in early on what kind of issues Maggie has. She was forced to grow up too quickly for her mother's sake, and the sense of responsibility she developed has manifested in her wanting to have control...and, well, orgasms are the ultimate loss of it. Consequently, she just can't there. Frustrated and a little desperate, she tries, in a rather unconventional way, to enlist the help of Mr. Golden Wang, a skilled (in more ways than one, of course) tattoo artist her friend got frisky with. And the story takes off.The book has me cringing in the first few pages. Not because of the potentially messy affair involving a friend and a man (something Mayberry has already explored--check out Her Best Worst Mistake , Suddenly You , and Her Best Friend ), but because, as Maggie finds out, "humiliation came in many flavors and colors." If I were in her shoes, it'd probably the kind where I'd be pulling my hair, screaming and kicking and wanting to die in embarrassment. In any case, screwing up still gets her to her, uh, desired destination as she successfully hooks the man, so all's well and good, right?Well, not exactly. For one, we know how complicated no-strings-attached sex can be in a romance novel. Rafel, the hot Brazilian guy still half in love with his ex, isn't quite so ready to move on, but his body sure is. He's drawn to Maggie like a magnet, and is intrigued with her situation. His emotional unavailability serves as the perfect foil for some raucous sex--Maggie just needs someone to get her off, after all, and she's OK with that.Until she feels that, after all the intimacy and mind-blowing orgasms she's finally allowed herself to have, she might not be.Maggie doesn't even try to fool herself into believing she can handle more heat without suffering the emotional consequences. Rafel is too fun, too sexy, too appealing, to be someone she can't fall for. Rafel doesn't try to reassure Maggie. He figures he's over his ex, but he's not sure he's ready for yet another commitment. Still, he also doesn't want to deny himself.This is Mayberry's smuttiest yet. I haven't read all her Harlequin Blazes, but this one is just off-the-charts steamy. Rafel makes me want to fan myself whenever he talks dirty with Maggie. He orchestrates this very long, very hot seduction that heightens the sexual chemistry between them. He's actually rather ruthless going about it. :)And when Maggie finally lets go, even though Rafel admits his ego has been stoked, he recognises that "Maggie was the only one who could unlock her own desire." Maggie also doesn't put Rafel on a pedestal. In a celebratory drink, she toasts herself: "To Rafel, for having all the right moves. But mostly to my vagina. Thank you for finally getting it together." These bits are extremely important to me as a reader, as a woman, that our hero doesn't take all the credit or try to downplay his lover's part in their shared success, and that our heroine doesn't think her orgasms are anchored on one man.I love that we have honest characters here. They're honest with each other, but, more importantly, they're honest with themselves. They're not perfectly mature--Rafel turns into a manzilla and Maggie is too independent to rely on people who care for her--but they act like the adults they are in dealing with each other when it matters. Having tempered, responsible characters helps in creating external conflicts that are neither overblown nor overreaching. When someone's unexpected homecoming threatens to break them apart, it takes only a few pages to sort things out because our leads are people who take action in order to make them stop second-guessing themselves. They are characters who recognise their flaws and try to correct their mistakes. By the way, major props to Rafel for making a comrade out of Georgette Heyer. Even I swooned. :DI feel as though I could have been better acquainted with Rafel. We're given hints of his past struggles with his brother, circumstances that have shaped them into success stories, but I think there's so much more to tell. I love that Rafel puts in the effort of helping Maggie, but that he manages to make her come at first go doesn't quite sit well with me. You could say I was waiting for him to fail, make it a bit of a tough spot. I would have also liked to get a few more details of Maggie and Rafel's time together as a couple--the intensity of their emotional connection seems a bit lacking after all the drama. I suppose that's just the way with them, though, so it isn't really an issue. Also, wouldn't it have been interesting to get a blow-by-blow of Cleo's reaction to meeting Rafel? :DSatisfaction is sweet and spicy, and everything we've come to expect from Sarah Mayberry: complex characters you will root for, a love story that will make you all warm and fuzzy inside, and sizzling sex scenes to heat things up.