Review: BIG tease
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 7, 2014
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.I am sensing a new shift in contemporary romance. A backlash against SMUT. I am not enjoying it.Look, I don't need to know everything that happens in a sex scene. If the dude breaks wind as he climaxes, I don't expect the author to write that into the scene. (In fact, please don't) However, for two adult characters to maturely decide the are attracted to each other, enough to knock boots, well, I want to hear a bit of that knocking. I want to know they are both satisfied. This can be done any number of ways in women's fiction, but I think the time of "intense groping-passing-directly-into-the-post-coital-snuggle" is over. And good riddance!The Story:  Miles Harrington has invited his three best friends, who are all billionaires, to this tiny island off Virginia's coast to help him prepare his whirlwind wedding to a local resident. Why a rich dude needs a bunch of other rich bachelor dudes to plan his wedding seemed...ludicrous? IDK. Anywho, Leo Strathairn is one of said-rich-buddies and his task for the wedding is to find a romantic poem to read in the ceremony. Only, Leo's illiterate. Nobody knows this, because he's got people, but he doesn't want use his people to help him. Why? IDK. Seems a no-brainer.Leo instead puts the moves on sexy-but-doesn't-know-it librarian Serena Lightfoot in order to get himself a poem. Serena's not into helping people who can't/won't do their own work, but decides to help because Leo's going to arrange some big donations to fund the library. Oh, and she's intrigued about a guy liking her for her body. Leo's the usual billionaire--30 y/o, hot, unavailable emotionally--so Serena decides, why not?I think they have sex the next day. There's some discussion and negotiation and then kissing, then they're naked on a blanket talking about how good THAT was.They continue to see each other, Serena reading love poem after love poem, with Leo not deciding and dithering on about how love doesn't exist. Serena freaks out when he won't read anything for himself, prompting his confession about not being ABLE to read....She leaves, outraged that Leo used her for her brains and not just a casual sex partner, but returns with books on tape. Tells him he can do it for himself, which I thought was nice actually. Teach a man to fish, and all that. Then, Serena leaves Leo. Yeah, it's tragic, but Serena's always been used for her brain and it's a touchy subject so she just wants to move on...to nothing. She has no other romantic prospects.Leo does listen to Serena's poems on CD, and changes, and believes in love, and even writes his own poetry, which naturally wins over Serena's heart at the wedding ceremony. I'm sure they reconcile--in the naked ways--off the page. Perhaps they'll come back and tell me how great it was.Seriously, most women read these stories for the vicarious thrill of passion. Whether they have it in real life, or not. I'd feel cheated if I had purchased a contemporary romance that had less action than a MG novel.I'm again NOT saying that it's gotta be filthy, but give me something.The Fireside Inn was a huge tease. It's the first in a romance novella series that follows Miles' friends, confirmed bachelors all, falling in love while planning Miles' wedding. If the first novella was this tame, I'm sure the others will be as well. The story was well-written, good word choice and all, but the characters were one-dimensional and the problems low-risk. The pivotal crisis was small-stakes, and the lack of ANY sexual heat made me feel like I'd been hornswaggled by the blurb. Just sayin'.