Review: Fun, Sweet and Sexy
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2013
Thank You For Riding is a short story written by author Meg Maguire. Meg Maguire writes smart and sexy romance under the same name and also writes smart sexy erotica under the name of Cara McKenna. An up front admission - I am a fan of Cara McKenna's writing, regardless of what name she is writing under. I recently went on a "hunt" and bought several of her books simply because I was beyond excited to have her backlist just waiting for me on my e-reader (I am reading Trespass by Meg Maguire right now). I was first introduced to this author's style and writing with Willing Victim. I have since read that novella maybe 4-5 times and I will likely read it again. I just finished After Hours and I plan to read it again soon. Okay, so now you know my dirty secret - I am more than a huge fan of Meg Maguire/Cara McKenna.Why? What is so special about the way she writes? She is doing something new, unique and interesting in the romance genre. Her focus is not on getting to that perfect happily ever after ending. Instead, it is more about seeing how the characters interrelate, how they act in certain situations. Her stories are about the characters. So a romance without a happily ever after? Well, kinda but no and yes .... Maguire/McKenna delivers steam, sweetness, sexiness, great character snapshots and development and a happy ending. Whether the characters stay together for the long haul, well who knows and isn't that more like real life anyway? So what else do I love about her books and what did I love about Thank You For Riding ....Characters. Maguire is so good at writing characters. Her stories are about the characters rather than her characters being tools to tell a story. Not that plot driven stories are bad, but well, I just prefer character driven tales. So we have Caitlin, who is sort of stuck in her busy professional life and thanks to a mishap at a subway station gets decidedly and deliciously unstuck."She ought to have a life outside of her clients' balances and returns, but it was a hard habit to break."Coming together. Thank You for Riding, like many of Maguire's books, is about two people meeting and coming together in a romantic sexy sort of way. You know that initial fun spark between two people who are attracted to each other? Well Thank You For Riding nails that feeling and the readers get to watch it unfold. Two people who are attracted to each other, meet a few times and eventually are officially drawn together. It is fun to watch."Wow. A cute, platelet-donating, library-card carrying man."Witty flirty, banter. Damn funny, this story is. I highlighted so many parts and went back and re-read them. Here is an example:"I'd been willing you to ask me out with telepath, so really its my fault. You were just doing my bidding."Captures real life/Real imaginable situations. Thank You For Riding is about two people working, donating blood and riding the subway. There is nothing exotic here, just normal life and that is somehow refreshing and completely engrossing.Raw and real, not cookie cutter. Crappy stuff happens, embarrassing circumstances take place and Maguire writes them for her readers. These scenes seem to help readers get to know Caitlin, the main character, and appreciate her."Did I mention I live alone with a cat? Just got dumped, workaholic who occasionally eats half a bag of shredded cheese for dinner? With chopsticks? Get on this hot mess with your man broom before someone else sweeps me up!"Man always always comes undone. She always does this so well. What is sexier than a man who is completely enraptured and out of control during love making that he comes undone and exposes his vulnerability? Not much in my opinion and Maguire knows how to write this so well. Readers of Thank You For Riding will not be disappointed.So who would like this novella? Readers who enjoy sexiness and steam and like to see less than perfect characters in real life situations.