Sunday, May 22, 2011

Games Girls Play by Deanna Lee

Why I read it:  I picked this one up after seeing a tweeted recommendation from Jane and Dear Author.  Thx Jane!

What its about:  This is a very sexy series of  3 erotic romance novellas  about 3 women who run PR company and represent sports stars.  The stories are linked by one fairly unsatisfying suspense plot which really didn't go anywhere.  Fortunately, I'm in it for the romance anyway so I was able to put that aside pretty easily.   I'm not sure the blurb made it entirely clear I was going to get 3 short stories rather than 1 full length novella but it was a good read nevertheless.

What worked and what didn't: The writing is strong and I liked the characters quite a bit.   I sometimes had trouble working out who was talking and there were a few abrupt changes of topic in the same paragraph or scene without any warning - at first I thought this might be a function of the fact that I had to adjust the font size as the native was too small.  But, when I put it back to the original size to check, the same problems existed.  I thought it finished abruptly and I would have liked to have known how the menage in the last story was going to work out longer term.  However, it was a very engaging book and I raced through all three.  I really appreciated the way Tara and Joshua (of the first novella) discussed their likes and dislikes and the "rules" of their relationship in a straighforward manner.  For instance, after a business meeting during which Tara calls him on his behaviour:-
"We can play games in the bedroom, Joshua.  I'm pretty sure I'll let you do anything you'd like to me when it comes to sex.  I wasn't lying when I said I was a sexual submissive.  I enjoy pain and I like being dominated but that does not mean I'll tolerate your disrespect of me."

"I respect you."

"You snapped at me like I was a child in front of two employees and your manager.  Even when you first contracted me and you were fighting me left and right on the image plan you never spoke to me that way.  If I can't trust you to treat me with courtesy and respect in public, in front of others, how on earth am I to trust you in more intimate matters?"


..."You're right of course.  I came in here angry...  That isn't, however, an excuse for speaking to you so rudely.  It won't happen again."
I also liked that once it was discussed, it was done.  No re-hashing and no repeats.

What else: The stories weren't long enough to go off into tangents about how they would set up rules or the dichotomy of the bedroom and the boardroom -  those things weren't ignored (good) but they weren't issues either - that wasn't the point of the story.  I liked that they were there, dealt with quickly and sensibly and the story moved on.


I will definitely be looking out for more from this author.  I liked her writing voice and the characters she created here very much.

Grade:  B+

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