Saturday, October 15, 2011

Real Men Will by Victoria Dahl

Why I read it:  I got an ARC from NetGalley but I'm a fan of Ms. Dahl's books anyway, especially her contemporaries.

What it's about: (from Goodreads). It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That’s the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his own identity as the conservative Donovan. The “good” one.
But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he cannot forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared one night of passion. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he cannot be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being did not burn to call him back.


What worked for me: Eric was a total stud muffin!  Who knew he had it in him?  Well, I did, because I read the novella first.  I really do think you need to read the novella first so that you can completely enjoy the book as the novella is about the one night stand.   
Seeing things from Eric's point of view does give one a new perspective on the sibling interaction and despite the fact that Eric was an asshat in Bad Boys Do, I felt a lot of sympathy for him in this book  I'm pretty sure that Ms. Dahl wanted Eric to come off as an ass in the earlier books just so she could redeem him here - it was a risk but she totally did it. 
Beth's backstory was heartbreaking and awful - I was so glad when she got her HEA with Eric - they're so good together.

What didn't: I got a little frustrated with the fights with Jamie and with Beth near the end.  They were  got out of control very quickly and I suspect my frustration was more to do with out how realistic (and somewhat irrational) they were - I don't like them in real life either! 
I wasn't sure what Beth was going to do careerwise.  It didn't feel telegraphed (perhaps this is what the author was going for) and in the end I was a bit surprised.  Eric's choice was more obvious and it fit but I would have liked a little more about Beth's process.
I thought the ending was just a little rushed. Overall, I would have liked just a little more of them happy together with no lies or misunderstandings, but then, I'm greedy that way.

What else:I didn't grade the novella as I felt that and this needed to be counted together.

Grade:  B/B+  I think Jamie's book was slightly more enjoyable but this one ran a very close second.

4 comments:

Marg said...

I haven't read any of this author's books yet

Kaetrin said...

Hi Marg - Victoria Dahl writes sexy contemporaries and historicals too. So far, her contemporary stories have worked better for me but I have enjoyed the historicals too. The Tumble Creek series is very good and a good place to start. :)

Kati R said...

Victoria Dahl is my contemporary goddess. This series was a top pick for me :)

Kaetrin said...

I've realised I'm behind with her historicals. They haven't always been quite as successful but I think her writing is getting better so I expect her most recent releases will work better for me. So many books, so little time!! :)