People sometimes tease me about reading romance. They are
stuck in the bodice ripper mindset and think every book is
about a virginal woman waiting to be rescued by a man who
will then introduce her to the pleasures of his love handle.
While the boy-meets-girl theme is typical of romance, and
much love handle fun is had by all in many of the books I
read, the romance genre is so much more than that. LUSH by
Lauren Dane (and the Brown series and Delicious series it is
connected to) is a perfect example of contemporary romance
at its best.
Mary Whaley is single and loves her life. She runs a
successfully catering company and supper club in Bainbridge,
Washington. She is surrounded by the love of her family and
friends. She is independent, happy, and busy. She thinks a
romantic relationship will interfere with her focus on
building her business. So when she meets rock star Damien
Hurley at her best friend\'s engagement party she seizes the
opportunity for a no-strings-attached sexual adventure with
a hot, tattooed, rock god who isn\'t looking for forever either.
Damien is attracted to Mary Whaley the minute he spots her
in the kitchen working her magic with food. She\'s
beautiful, sexy, smart, and fun to talk to. Damien may have
a reputation as a rough rocker who has had more than his
share of women but he knows that Mary is different. With
Mary, settling-down looks more and more appealing. Can
Damien convince her that what they have is more than just a
fling?
So what about LUSH places it on my list of favorite
romances? It goes without saying that I enjoy the
development of the romantic relationship, but the powerful
friendships and family ties that surround and support Damien
and Mary elevate the story. Both characters come from
healthy loving families. They are surrounded by family and
friends, who are more than willing to argue, interfere,
encourage, and rise in defense. I love that the romance adds
to an already rich life. So where does the story come from?
Some of it comes from the fun in watching Mary and Damien
get to know one another as they explore each other\'s worlds.
Tension and drama builds as they figure out how to adjust
their lives to make room for a new relationship and from the
special challenges of dating a rock star.
Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful
catering company and overseeing her supper club. She has
everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she
meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien
Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she
feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.
Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his
brothers started a band when they were fresh out of high
school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s
also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom.
But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy
starts thinking he may have finally found something good.
What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon gets much
more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t
want more from him. And before long, it’s Damien who wants
more from Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to
celebrity news, and he’s got a very big job ahead of him:
proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…