Real, relate-able, life is messy characters (which makes them interesting) with a bit of erotica thrown in.
584728
I will admit this book would not normally be on my read list being a romance set in sports related background, but I read it on a recommendation, and have to admit I really enjoyed it.  The author gave the characters a great deal of depth, without going too far to get bogged down and kept the story line moving while webbing the lives of the characters together and how they inter-relate and help one another.  The "erotica" portions to me were not over the top, but I am not easily offended, and the author described the encounters in an adult manner, without gratuitously going too far.  The characters lives are flawed, and messy, which is true in real life and the storyline does not go to wild unimaginable scenarios and places.  She kept the story real and relate-able, which made reading the story a pleasure for me.
4918586
Seriously intense look at one couple's sexual relationship/ escapades as told through the eyes of the author. It's witty, clever, explicit and funny to boot. I found myself blushing at some of the juicier moments and there are quite a few. They certainly found numerous ways to keep or add back the sex in their marriage while juggling their lives and raising kids. It's written more in a journal-style than a regular fiction novel as far as the story unfolds. While parts of it did astonish me, I think I was more pleasantly surprised at the level of humor the author writes with. Definitely a page-turner.
726891
This is the first book by this author I have read. I quite enjoyed it even though I felt like smacking both of the characters around the head a bit. But the author did her job because she writes real life romance and let's face, in real life, people can be annoying.
Julian is a botanist who is bipolar and an alcoholic so you can imagine just how mucked up his mind can be.
Liza is a case manager for kids in foster care, and she meets Julian when his mother crashes into her car on the way to an appointment.
Julian and Liza's relationship is not an easy one, but who said life was easy.
1753806
I would not jump to classify this book as "chick lit."  The author, Sarah Dunn, tells a more realistic and gritty anti-love story through different characters throughout the novel. There are girlfriends, ex-husbands, boyfriends, boy-toys, work partners, pets, siblings - a variety of relationships are explored as the characters intertwine.  All types of relationships can lead to or lead from one's personal quest for the secrets to happiness.

It takes a few chapters to get into this book, the main characters, Holly and Amanda, are not immediately like-able possessing a somewhat chilly city charm.  By the end, though, I felt refreshed for choosing to read an interesting take on adult relationships and not another girl finds self, gets man, story.
2857596
I enjoyed this story of 2 people reconnecting and each having to deal with their own emotional baggage.  Some of the angst was protracted and a bit frustrating but imo it felt real because human emotions are messy like that.  Looking forward to other books in the series.
2955876
Real life situations expressed through ink by a very talented person. This book definitely has circumstances I could relate to that just made me wanna read more . Sex,money , scandal and betrayal the list goes on this joint is HOTT and if you haven't read it what you waiting for . Do you have your PINK PANTIES on?
4107679
Well , well, well, what can I say. This is not a typical Rockstar novel though it touches on the subjects of too much drinking, sex with numerous women, and a bad attitude it also touches a lot on feelings.

The book opening between Alicia and Keisha cracked me up. I remember listening to conversations like theirs and quite possibly participated in a few myself. So of course it was believable and amusing, Alicia is dedicated to making her singing career happen and throughout the book you will see her making wise career decisions with some occasional personal not quite so wise decisions that adds lots of spice to the story.

Hung, what a nickname, is really a mess. A hot, hot, hot mess and the book goes into detail with why he has that nickname causing one to start to fan themselves. I like that there is more to him as the book progresses so you see a deeper part of him and the cracks in his behavior start to give the reader glimpses of why he is out of control.

For me the start of the book was slow to grab my attention but as I read further into the book it developed into a book that expanded with intensity and feelings. A shared past experience between Hung and his manager, Mike made me cry. It was written superbly filled with deep emotions, sadness and deep love.

I give this 3.75 STARS.

An ARC was gifted in exchange for an honest review.
4863221
I enjoyed reading this story as the main characters found new erotic delights to share. Two of the characters discover more about their sexuality with the the help of a third. Nothing is wrong if it feels good.
4620875
Solid erotica with a lot of personality. I like the cultural spin the author put on it, it made it a lot more relatable as someone who isn't white. I'm a big fan.
4231552
The characters are well developed into people you want to know. They are able to deal with difficulty in life without giving up.
2113497
An engaging  story about real sorts of people dealing with real sorts of  life situations. For a refreshing change, a romance novel about characters  most of us can relate to and actually like.
1717325
Three Nurses, Vanity, Nadia and Kensington. All three love their day jobs and their fun. If that means a different man, then so be it. All three love their sex and it was refreshing to see these women not afraid to take the first step to get what they want.
Having the 3 main characters stories told in one book made this an interesting read, the diary entries just enforced their stories.
As this is Erotica, it is not a surprise that there is a lot of sex, and if this is not your cuppa tea then don't read it. Some of the sex scenes were intense and this just showed how different these three women tastes were.
Added to this there was an intriguing storyline involving Kensington. This book does end on a cliff-hanger but book 2 is already out so you don't have to wait to find out what happens.
A good start to the series
2647685
This story is decently long and allowed for much character development. You got a real sense of the characters as their history unravels. It was interesting to learn about Phil and try to figure out why he ended up developing a school for Littles. It was also easy to see why our MC very much loved the idea of reliving the childhood she had lost. While there was one character who acted like she didn't wish to be a Little and caused some upset, it was rather a misunderstanding that caused all the unpleasantness. Rather, I had wished that there was some who didn't want the Little lifestyle, both to be realistically since this lifestyle isn't for everyone and also to add a degree of strife.

I also liked the fact that everyone involved that disciplined didn't do so because they derived pleasure from it but to achieve the end result of positive behavior. I find sadistic tendencies don't match with Age Play as well. Even in the case of the Mysterious Man whom was Etta's betrothed before her father got ill disciplined harshly because he truly thought that was how you handled women in the Victorian era. The Mystery regarding whether this man faked the papers between himself and Etta's father or if it was legitimate will always keep this a fresh novel in your mind.

Lastly, it was nice to see that even in Victorian Era, Cunnilingus is not a dead art and was represented in this novel. Too often I find that a man's pleasure seems to be the paramount picture with erotica. The only thing that I feel disgruntled with but not surprised about was orgasm denial. The idea that you can only have pleasure when your "Papa" deems it so. Yet is another element to Power play that is all too common.
4774677
A lively ensemble story with engaging characters in relatable situations. The central family has just come into money, and they're moving up in the world and into a place they don't necessarily enjoy. They've left mundane hardship behind and traded it for mundane pettiness. But they stay a family, and their affection for each other sees them through. I especially liked the journey of their son who's studying in America, dating an American girl, and torturing himself over how to tell his family. And the cross-cultural elements, viewed from numerous divides, were well drawn and understandable, but the characters were never overwhelmed by them. A story full of likeable people who find themselves in unfamiliar waters. Recommended.
4776389
I short, sharp read, I finished this first instalment in about an hour - but don't let that put you off. It was a glorious hour of a strong (if not psychotic) woman, comfortable with her sexuality and her independence. A mistress of manipulation.

This was a hot read, with sexual scenes involving collars and leashes, dirty talk, facef****** and group sex - most of which resulted in a certifiable one-handed book (if you're into that kind of thing); some of which I wished had been described in a little more detail, such as the group sex scene.

If you're after romance, there isn't any here. This is a woman dealing with multiple men in her life - her complicated relationship with her father-figure (who, it has to be said, was my favourite), her friendships with Linc and Joseph, and couple more casual ones thrown in for good measure. It'll be interesting to see where these relationships go in the sequels, but even if it's nowhere, gimme more filthy sex and I'll be happy.

This was a highly enjoyable quick read. It wasn't perfect - I wasn't so keen on the voice, which in some ways felt like a stream of consciousness, and I really hate flashbacks (I prefer past events to be written in chapters set in the past as it makes for a more seamless read). It also could have had more detail in the assassinations to make it a little darker. But regardless of that, the concept and characters were intriguing to make me keep reading, and make me want more.
346018
that don't always end up with the happily ever after you might think. Life is messy and this was a refreshing and transparent real life story about 2 different people and how they struggled and the friends who tried to help them. Variety of people, their problems and those well meaning helpers, a good challenge to consider what we are really thinking.
1305660
This is real life where situation dynamics collide and relationships ignite and burn out. Keeps the reader engaged. Looking forward to the next installment.