Curve Ball by Charlotte Stein

Why I read it:  I've had this on my TBR for some time - I can't remember exactly when I picked it up (Goodreads tells me I got it for free so there must have been a promotion), but it came up in a Twitter discussion recently so I decided to open it up.

What it's about: (from Goodreads)  When Judy Myers is offered a relaxing vacation to get away from her latest heartbreak, she can’t say no. A cruise on her brother’s yacht sounds like heaven...until she realises her brother’s best friend has been invited along for the ride.

Steven Stark is big, he’s loud, and he’s obviously not interested in the plump, plain little sister he used to tease unmercifully. In fact, he’s still quite happy to tease her – until she turns the tables on him. Now Steven can’t seem to keep his thoughts, or his hands, to himself. And worse, Judy’s not sure she can resist the attraction she’s kept buried for so many years.

Being trapped on a boat isn’t the best place to be, when you’re suddenly thrown a hunky curveball.

What worked for me (and what didn't): I usually like Charlotte Stein's authorial voice and this was no exception but there wasn't enough of the hero to really satisfy me.  Judy is a plus-sized girl - a self described "fat chick".  (On Twitter, the author described her as a size 18-20, but it is not specified in the book).   She is on a small yacht in the Mediterranean with her brother and his wife and her brother's best friend, Steven Stark.  Judy has had a crush on Steven for the longest time but has never imagined anything could ever come of it.  While Steven is described as a very big man, his description is all in terms of muscle rather than flab.   

I'm Over at Dear Author...

with a review of Charlotte Stein's super dirty (in a good way) novella, Make Me.

See what I thought here.

Addicted by Charlotte Stein

Why I read it:  I pre-ordered this one and snuck it in between review books.

What it's about: (from Goodreads)  Kit Connor has always led a safe, cautious life. But when her friend points out that her erotic writing lacks something, she decides to attend a Sexual Healing group to improve her knowledge.

Kit expects to find the gritty underbelly of sex, and instead finds louche, laidback, sex-loving Dillon Holt.

He makes a suggestion to her: that he will tell tales of his sexual excess, and help her book get the realism it needs. She agrees, but hasn't the least idea of what she's getting into.

Dillon doesn't have simple advice in mind … he has lessons to teach her. Lessons on everything she's never dared to experience, from kink to real passion.

Now Kit is never sure: is Dillon the addict, or is she just addicted to him?

What worked for me (and what didn't): First off, this book is funny.  Kit made me laugh and so, what she felt was pathetic about herself didn't come across as whiny.  She's self aware and self deprecating but not sad with it.  

After all, what do I know about sex? Nothing. Less than nothing. Every sexual encounter I’ve ever had has occurred beneath the sheets, under a double layer of darkness. Once I started kissing some guy’s elbow, thinking I’d found his cock. And as for the pleasure I’ve just described to her, in my twisted tale of kinky delights …

Well, I guess that’s disingenuous of me, at best. I should have written:

Sex for her was sort of like being vaccinated, by a big pink finger.

Deep Desires by Charlotte Stein

Why I read it: This is another I heard about on Twitter and bought.  Thank you Mandi :)

What it's about:  (from Goodreads)  The Further She Goes, the More She Needs ...

Abbie Gough has done her best to escape a violent past. But in the process, she’s avoided life, desire and love. So when she sees her equally closed off neighbour, Ivan, performing for her one night through his window, she can’t stop looking.

Voyeuristic pleasures become Abbie’s lifeline. But as she comes alive and craves more, Ivan backs away. He has his own secrets , the kind that draw her into kinky games and her own shameful desires, while also preventing real intimacy between them. But now she’s found someone so special, she’s not about to give up easily. And she’s willing to do whatever it takes to melt Ivan’s cool exterior. Even if captivating him means pushing through her limits to whatever lies beyond.

What worked for me (and what didn't): This is a short, dark and very sexy book.  Abbie lives a solitary life, alone and afraid (the reasons for which become clear as the story progresses).  One night she sees, through her window into her neighbour's window across the courtyard.  He's masturbating.  And he knows she's watching.    She's fascinated and aroused and they start a mutually voyeuristic 'relationship' through their windows.  In this section of the book there is almost no dialogue.  The story is told from Abbie's first person POV and there is a feeling, particularly in the first section of almost stifling closeness, so deeply are we in Abbie's head.  The way it's written, the reader is a voyeur too.