Helpful Score: 6
When I won this copy I was excited to try a new-to-me contemporary author. I have been on a contemp. jag lately, and this looked as if it would be right up my alley. A hot firefighter, a talk-show host with a sister in danger, what promised to be a sexy road romance, and free to boot. What more could I ask for?
A lot, as it turned out. I knew I might be in trouble when the first five pages were nothing but one long info-dump immediately followed by a flashback. I absolutely cringe when authors grind out the back-story of the characters as if they were writing a wikipedia entry, but I persevered, trying to get to the heart of the story before passing judgement. After all, I thought, most writers have a little info dump, and I wanted to see more of the meat and bones before giving up. Unfortunately, I didn't like the following pages any better than the first.
I won't go on and on about how unrealistic I thought the dialogue was. Or about how the flat,one-dimensional, yet overly melodramatic characters grated. Or about how over-the-top the villain was. Let's just say that it was very much a DNF for me. But then, I don't like melodrama in my romance. I know plenty of others do, and hopefully whoever gets this copy is a fan.
A lot, as it turned out. I knew I might be in trouble when the first five pages were nothing but one long info-dump immediately followed by a flashback. I absolutely cringe when authors grind out the back-story of the characters as if they were writing a wikipedia entry, but I persevered, trying to get to the heart of the story before passing judgement. After all, I thought, most writers have a little info dump, and I wanted to see more of the meat and bones before giving up. Unfortunately, I didn't like the following pages any better than the first.
I won't go on and on about how unrealistic I thought the dialogue was. Or about how the flat,one-dimensional, yet overly melodramatic characters grated. Or about how over-the-top the villain was. Let's just say that it was very much a DNF for me. But then, I don't like melodrama in my romance. I know plenty of others do, and hopefully whoever gets this copy is a fan.
Helpful Score: 1
Another great read by Bella Andre. Ten years ago Diana walked out on her fiance, Sam, leaving him brokenhearted. Now, Sam rushes to Diana's side after she gets into a serious car accident. Once reunited, Diana asks Sam's help in finding her missing sister in the mountains/wilderness. Along the way the couple face dangerous situations, a deadly enemy and reignited passion. Hot Hot Hot.
Helpful Score: 1
This has been my least favorite of the series. I couldn't really get into Sam and Dianna
SPOILER --- DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T LIKE THEM
I really found the sex scene after Dianna suffered a HEAD INJURY to be a little
unbelievable. Really put me off. No one can be that into it when in pain.
SPOILER --- DON'T READ ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T LIKE THEM
I really found the sex scene after Dianna suffered a HEAD INJURY to be a little
unbelievable. Really put me off. No one can be that into it when in pain.
Helpful Score: 1
HOT AS SIN is definitely a scorcher. Bella Andre created phenomenal characters in a backdrop that was easy to slip into and follow along. I absolutely loved how Ms. Andre kept Dianna and Sam from keeping the past in the past, forcing them to bring their problems to the forefront, where they had to talk about them and work them out. Their chemistry ignited the pages with their smoldering passion, but not only that, we were able to see them as two people who had more in common than great sex. I was a bit perturbed that Sam's young age was continuously brought up when speaking of the past mistakes, but Dianna's even younger age wasn't mentioned until much later in the story. I was absolutely able to understand them both so much better when I realized just how young the were when they first parted.
I'm avidly awaiting June 2010, when Connor's story, NEVER TOO HOT comes out. Bella Andre is an auto-buy for me, and her Hot Shot series is not to be missed.
I'm avidly awaiting June 2010, when Connor's story, NEVER TOO HOT comes out. Bella Andre is an auto-buy for me, and her Hot Shot series is not to be missed.
