Review - Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly

I usually don't read category romances. When I do, they are recommended by friends on Twitter or in the blogosphere. So taking a chance on a category is kind of a big deal to me even if that book is available for free from the Kindle Store. When I picked up Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly, all I knew was that I missed my boy, I needed a short, steamy romance, and that Harlequin Blaze delivers that.

What I found was a sweet, sometimes silly story. Madeline is a rich workaholic from a wealthy family who are all notoriously bad at relationships of the romantic variety. Jake is an "all-American boy" who loves baseball, hot wings, nachos, and women with curves. Luckily, Madeline loves all those things too.. er, except that last one. But she is one, so that's okay. It basically starts out with Jake spying Maddy from behind a curtain where he's getting auctioned off for a charity. He is instantly drawn to her because she looks very different from the other women at the event (she happens to be the only brunette) and she seems "out of place" there. She has come to outbid her stepmother on a European gigolo who is also at the auction so that her father's heart doesn't get broken again. Thanks to a mix-up in the program, Jake is sold as the gigolo instead of the Chicago Paramedic (the fact that this book is in Chicago = <3), and the relationship begins with Maddy thinking he's a man who has sex with women for money. Mind you, she's still drawn to him. Irresistibly, in fact. And he won't take no for an answer.

It sounds like I'm ragging on this book. I'm really not. I really enjoyed the silliness, and Maddy has the sense when she realizes her mistake to not blame Jake for going along with it (once he, of course, realized what she thought of him). What I didn't really enjoy was how faultless Jake came out of the whole thing. He was kind of the perfect guy, except for one moment of weakness when he verbally seduces Maddy in front of their waitress. Of course, it leads to mind-blowing sex, but he has a few moments of guilt for not being a gentleman.

Despite my eye-rolling at his perfect American Boy-ishness, Maddy had some real issues. But they weren't deep dark secret issues. She had to deal with normal woman stuff - the kind of hang-ups many women get about love and relationships. That, and there is a lot of steamy foreplay that makes this book sizzle. Kelly also has a great sense of humor and a talent for internal monologues that I admire.

Yes, I will read this book again. Yes, I am buying the next one in the series... did I honestly think they weren't going to let the Gigolo have his own story?

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Recommended for a short, steamy, enjoyable read

2:00 am - Hour 20 (14 hours reading)

Finished Indiscreet! Yay!

Indiscreet is about a "fallen" woman who has escaped the sneers of the British aristocracy in Turkey with her scholarly uncle who has raised her. Edward Foye is a "beast" of a man who is convinced that, since his last fiancée left him, no woman could possibly love such a man.

While the first couple chapters had me confused, I really got into Indiscreet. There was something there, and several beautiful moments that kept me moving forward, and then from a certain point (don't want to spoil anything!) I found myself not noticing that two hours had passed.

I really love Jewel's writing. She has a unique voice, class and style. But I felt that often, especially in the first couple of chapters, there was just too much introspection. I love some introspection, but eventually they started thinking the same things they'd thought before, only phrased differently. Once things started moving forward, though, it improved.

I enjoyed the subtle growth of their love - it was like they were normal people who just gradually fall in love with each other. And Sabine says several times later in the novel that she hadn't really loved him then because she didn't really know him. That and the astute observations Sabine makes about gender during their adventure together (trying very hard not to spoil anything!!) made me love her brain. I do wish she hadn't caved in to Foye so easily.

Plus, she never used his given name. I am a sucker for the "use my given name" moment, corny though it may be.

Foye himself reminded me very much of my own boy, which can be really depressing when he's so far away. One way he didn't, though, was his insistence that he was ugly - and I'm not sure he ever gets over that.

Overall, a fantastic read, and smart, and PS, the sex is pretty freaking amazing. :)

Recommended

Noon - Hour 6 (Hour 3 reading)

I just finished Beasts of New York! It was epic.

Beasts of New York is about a squirrel named Patch who, out of desperation and need, adventures beyond his home in Central Kingdom to try and save it. While it seems that fate is conspiring against him, taking him further from his home than any squirrel has traveled, his journey is a necessary step to saving all of Central Kingdom from the evil trying to consume it.

What did I love about this book? Well, first of all, Patch is an amazingly brave squirrel. No one can read this book and not admire his determination. He has a way of making friends wherever he goes, not by being overtly friendly, but by being him. Would we could all so easily say, "I don't care what the other squirrels think."

This book reads like a fantasy novel, even though it is set in New York City. The horrors that Patch encounters at times seemed so unreal to me, despite knowing where they were. Seeing them from another pair of eyes gave some things a new air of terror and others one of wonder.

This is not a light novel. It is very dark, and at times absolutely horrifying, but I connected so much to Patch as a hero that, in the end, I was left with tears of relief and happiness in my eyes.

Recommended
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I may be taking a break to clean myself up, get some food, and get my apartment in order for the tea-time play readings. Looking forward to diving into another book shortly!


ETA: For those interested, Beasts of New York is available for free at Beastsofnewyork.com or on Feedbooks. It will be released in print in 2010 thanks to the amazing response Evans received on Feedbooks!