Review: Smart and Sexy, with a Real Plot
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 12 21, 2013
If you are a smart woman who likes sexy stories with a clever plot, then this is the book for you. For me, the hotiness came from the clever verbal sparring between Annabel Frost, the manager of Cluny's, a high end restaurant in London and hot-blooded Irishman, Aidan Flynn, a barman under her supervision. Who is under whose supervision is a question that arises and is batted back and forth as the story develops.Annabel has a stark reputation for being an ice-queen, a b*&%-buster, and the most type A of all of the type-As People wither under her gaze, and take care to stay out of her way. Not so Mr. Flynn, cheeky and confident, and filled with magnetism. He surprises his ducks-in-a-row boss at every turn, throwing her off-guard and infuriating her in the process. It's delightful how much he takes pleasure in this drawn-out project!We realize that he sees through her. One by one, he uncovers her secrets: Some are possible to guess, some are sheer surprises. We wonder if she wants to be found out, or if, true to her word, she just wants to be left alone to steer the ship.One of my favorite things about this read is how long it takes before anyone lays a finger on anyone else. The author's masterful build-up to the break of the tension is as thrilling as it is frustrating and excruciating. All of this is doled out in the context of a story. The characters are multi-dimensional, the plot is complicated and believable, and the world is fully drawn.Kat Black has a whip-smart brain and silk on her tongue. Every description of something sexual, from a kiss to the big deed, is cinematic and lush. Even when she gets down and dirty, she wraps up what she's handing you in velvet. Don't get me wrong, though, there's nothing twee or saccharine to be found in these pages. Her word choices don't tread the same tired old ground. She's creative and inventive, and this fresh take is sure to create a new niche in the market. For those of you who enjoy between-the-ears erotica as much as between-the-sheets erotica, Kat Black will become your new favorite author. If 50 Shades didn't speak to you, give this a try. , For hot and steamy reads, this is exactly the tone I like. By a woman, for a woman.