Mandi recs 'Leave Me Breathless,' 'All He Ever Desired'
When I started browsing through the books I read this past week I realized I went on a contemporary binge! And it was fun. Here are four recommendations that stood out.
Leave Me Breathless by Cherrie Lynn (erotic contemporary). This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The hero, Seth, is a tattoo artist, has a shaved head and a piercing … down you know where. He meets Macy through mutual friends and by all appearances, she is the opposite of him. They get naughty in the back of his car one night, and Macy knows she can't walk away from this guy. They both have angry exes lurking in the background waiting to cause trouble, but they eventually work through their issues for a nice happy ever after. And this book is very, very sexy. Highly recommend.
Checkmate by R.L. Mathewson (contemporary). I read my first R.L. Mathewson book, Playing for Keeps, a few months ago and laughed so much I had to cover my mouth so I wouldn't disturb people. So I was very excited for this book to come out. Checkmate is not as funny as book one, but it is more sexy. Rory and Connor have been each other's nemesis since preschool. They've pulled hardcore pranks on each other for years, and now that they are adults, they hate each other (or maybe secretly love each other). Connor buys the house next door to Rory just to tick her off and continues to do everything he can think of to get a rise out of her. When they are forced to work on the same contract together, they have to come to some sort of truce. In the second half of the book, a truly sweet romance develops and I really enjoyed it while still laughing my butt off. If you are in the mood for something lighthearted but still sexy, give this one a try.
One Night With a Hero by Laura Kaye (contemporary). This is the first Laura Kaye book I have read, but it won't be my last. Army Special Forces Sgt. Brady Scott is back in the States with orders to deal with his feelings toward his abusive father before he goes back to his men. By chance he meets Joss Daniels and they indulge in a one-night stand. Soon after, Joss realizes Brady bought the townhouse next door to her, and they turn the one-night stand into a more regular thing. When Joss discovers she is pregnant right at the same time Brady receives bad news, things start to fall apart. But Brady redeems himself nicely in this book.
All He Ever Desired by Shannon Stacey (contemporary). Shannon Stacey is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors. Her Kowalski family books are always full of fun, warm characters, great small towns and really sexy relationships. After unsuccessfully trying to woo Lauren away from another man in his younger years, Ryan goes on to become a builder. But now he is back in his hometown to help his brothers fix up the family inn, and Laura is still in town, divorced with a teenage son. Shannon Stacey very slowly builds up their romance, as these two finally come together for a very cute and hot relationship. While this can be read as a stand-alone, I highly recommend all the books in this series.
Mandi Schreiner started romance review blog Smexy Books in 2009. She is obsessed with reading romance novels and collecting fictional boyfriends.