I don't know about you, dear reader, but there are some
things in fiction that set my bells off in a bad way.
Like the "if this happened to my friend in real life I
would be calling the cops" bells. Also known in my
circles as the Logan Echols effect (see Veronica
Mars for explanation), it's the way that you can
totally be okay or even in love with something/someone in
fiction but in real life? No way.
In SUGAR, Charlie set off my Logan Echols alarm like
woah. Like WOAH, y'all. The book opens with Charlie's
narration giving off serious stalker signals and then him
concluding a business meeting with our heroine, Siobhan,
by hitting on her. This made me raise skeptical brows at
our boy, wondering if he was going to pull it together.
He did, by the way, pull it together. But not before some
odd pacing decisions and chemistry that I didn't fully
buy until about a hundred pages in. Charlie and Siobhan
did the mind-blowing sex before the mind-blowing intimacy
thing and it made those bells go off.
Once they settled into communication and started doing
life together and learning each other, I totally dug this
book. It's the second in a series, but didn't feel too
"series-y," save for a few moments. There's some character
development that Seressia Glass clearly did in the
previous book that she used shorthand for here, but not
to the point where I was confused. The opening
conversation between Siobhan and her business partner,
Nadia, for example, appeared abrupt to me but were
probably better introduced in the first volume of this
world.
And, y'all, hot minute for the sex: Kindle-melting,
involves toys and some light BDSM, very creative and
adventurous, and adult sexual activity happening all over
the show in this story. She's a burlesque dancer, after
all, so lady has some mooooooooves. On a related note and
by way of warning, the way they talk to each other about
sex and during sex is what my mother would refer to as
"coarse language," so be aware of that. One other wee note
while I'm thinking of it - this book deals pretty
extensively with someone in recovery from prescription
drug addiction and the fallout. If you're a
touch sensitive to that web of topics, be warned its a
heavy hitter in this plot.
Overall, if you enjoy books with erotic sex scenes,
burgeoning emotional connections between damaged folks
learning to trust, and meddling friends who only want the
best for their loved ones, then definitely add SUGAR to
your book pile.
Uninhibited passion is all she needs to turn her life around….
Siobhan “Sugar” Malloy, co-owner of Sugar and Spice Café and part-time burlesque dancer, believes that love is for the young and foolish—and at thirty-five years old, she is neither.
But a new business venture with the sexy twenty-something owner of Crimson Bay Couriers is quickly changing her mind. Charlie O’Halloran is beyond charming—and his flirtatious manner is an unexpected breath of fresh air for Siobhan. Soon an explosively steamy affair begins, and Siobhan discovers that she loves making up for lost time.
When Charlie comes clean and admits he wants a relationship, Siobhan is struck with memories of the troubled past she is desperate to forget. But when her estranged daughter makes a surprise appearance, Siobhan must choose between the family she left behind and the new life—and new love—she’s always wanted…