Monday, June 10, 2013

[Double Review]: "Flirting with Disaster"

Today we're trying something different--two reviews in one post! Let us know what you think of it in the comments.
 
 




Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox
Publisher: Loveswept (June 10, 2013)
Series: Camelot, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
 
In the latest eBook original novel in Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.

Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.


Where to Buy*:
More Info:



Kame's Review:



We met Sean and Katie in Along Came Trouble. Katie is Caleb’s sister that has returned to Camelot from Alaska, and at the end of Along she lets the family know that she has been secretly married for ten years.  Sean is one of Caleb’s most trusted employees. He is a man of few words.


At the beginning of Flirting With Disaster Katie is newly divorced, and driving to her first field assignment for Camelot Security with Sean.  Caleb is unsure if Katie is up for this, but she desperately wants to win a promotion, that and the client asked specifically for her.  Not only is Katie stressed about this new unfamiliar job, but she is convinced Sean can’t stand her; that has to be the reason he has never talked to her. 


I really liked Sean and Katie. Their relationship is very real to me. Kate has issues that are very relatable, and Sean is a hunky computer geek.  I enjoyed their banter back and forth, and when they finally give into their attraction their intimate scenes are hot.

“Get these things off,” he ordered. “They’re in the way of my annihilating your principles.”



I am happy both of these characters have a HEA and I hope to see a glimpse of them in Camelot #4.


This is a low key read for me - nothing that got my heart racing in panic for the characters. True to Ruthie Knox books it is filled with great one-liners.



“If I get killed, make sure Paul gets my guitar, okay?”
“Are you an organ donor?” Katie asked. “If you are, I’d like your ego.”



As with Along there is a subplot with secondary characters that fits nicely with the story, it takes a minor role and does not detract from Katie and Sean’s story.



4 STARS!



Meet Kame:

Kame is part of a family of readers; one day she picked up the Nook she purchased for her husband and discovered her love of e-books. A few months later he purchased one for her so he could have his back! Kame’s Nook is never far, and she is hard pressed to pick a favorite book, genre or author. As long as there are characters that make her want to sit down and have a chat and a plot keeps the pages turning, she’ll read it.

Kame's GoodReads 
 





 
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My Review:


Since Ruthie Knox debuted last year , I've read every one of her books. When I see her name on the cover, I know I'm going to like the book. Even my “least favorite” is still a solid 3.5 stars. And my favorites are 4.5 and 5 stars. I've yet to be disappointed by her. Her books are guaranteed to have a few things in them. One, interesting characters. Two, plenty of steamy tension and sexy time. And three, a fun read overall, especially during the sexy times. :) Flirting With Disaster has all these things and more!



“That b-book about phone sexy,” he said. His voice had dropped to a lower register, and even though he kept his eyes on the road, her bare skin tingled as if he were looking. “The bondage one.” He paused, then added, “The one with the three-way.”

Oh, mama, the one with the three-way. “I never thought anybody paid any attention to what I was reading.”

Sean glanced her way, and the mischief in his eyes made her breath catch. She remembered that look from the aftermath of the kiss, and remembering it made her remember the kiss, and remembering the kiss made her pulse pick up and start throbbing in some very personal areas.

“I p-pay attention to everything.”

“But how do you know what's in my books? Did you read them?”

“I read a lot of books,” he said. Which wasn't any kind of answer.

“I hadn't pegged you for the sort of guy who reads erotica. Isn't that in violation of the Man Laws?”

“Is it?” He rubbed his fingers along his jaw, then asked, “What do you read those books for?”

“Same reason anyone does, I guess.”

“Are they your ffantasies?”

“Some of them,” she said. “Not all.”

His hands on the steering wheel drew her eyes. He had such big hands. His nails were blunt and short and unpretty. Rough hands. Hands that had gathered her close and held her in place when he took that kiss.

“Have you ever been with a man who d-did those things to you?” His voice had turned husky and dark. “Talk dirty to you? Spanked you? Tied you up and sspent hours figuring out how many ways he could make you c-come with his tongue?”

“No.” She put as much scorn into the word as she could manage. As if scorn could protect her from the way he was turning her on. Or prevent him from knowing he was going it.

It was no use. Sean turned to look at her and he smiled the wickedest smile she'd ever seen. A smile that said he knew exactly what he was doing, and he's known all along. “Sounds like the guys you've been with have been reading all the wrong books.”

She closed her eyes and gave herself a moment to die.




* dies *




I loved Sean. He stutters. He's not always confident or secure, though he tries so hard to be. And I loved him for that! He was different, yes, but his character seemed very real, and that matters. I found his stuttering sexy, and could picture him in my mind very easily.






“Want to hear my number-one teenage fantasy?” he asked with a dimpled grin.

“You're kind of domineering,” she observed.

“Mmm. Want to hear it?”

“Sure. Enlighten me.”

“Sex with yuh-you.”

She shoved him, partly out of irritation and partly as a ay to deny the pure, crystalline thrill he'd just given her. “Shut up.”

“I'm serious.”

“You're full of shit.”

“I'm not. I'd never lie about my teenage dreams. I take them very sseriously In fact,” he said, beginning to kiss his way down her throat, “I've already fulfilled most of them.” He eased his broad hands underneath her should blades, the contrast of his rough palms to her soft skin, his bigness to her smallness, making her feel feminine and desirable.

{…}

He paused with her nipple held gently between his teeth, and she wine-moaned in happy frustration. “Really, the only things I hadn't done were the c-car-sex thing and you. Now I get to do both at once.”

He sucked and bit, and she died and came back to life.

“That's so romantic,” she said when she could speak again. “Getting banged in the back of an SUV so you can check me off your bucket list.”

“Want a rose, sweetie? Should I recite you a p-poem?” He eased his way lower, kissing down her stomach. The heat of his breath on her cool flesh gave her goose bumps.

“No, thanks. Though if you gave me your letter jacket, I could spread it underneath me and make this a little more comfortable.” The carpet actually wasn't half bad, though the stow-handle for one seat bit into her lower back.

“Sorry. I'd give you my academy blazer if I'd actually guh-gone to the academy.”

“I could never have sex on a blazer. It's against my principles.”




Katie was a heroine I could like. She had a rough time; she married her high school sweetheart right after graduation, and followed him to Alaska. But after doing everything for him, allowing him to basically decide who she was, he leaves her, and their business. She's left to pack up, close up, and move on. Now she's back in her hometown, and she's not sure what she wants out of life, where she belongs. But she knows that she won't make the same mistake again; she's going to do her thing, live her life. Sean, at one point in the book, makes a sloppy attempt at proposing, and I loved how she threw it back in his face, simply because she was standing up for herself. Even though Sean wasn't exactly like Levi, her ex, the way he worded how their future would be sounded very close---it would leave Katie without an identity outside of their relationship.


And the scene in the attic? Yeah, that one was great. Sexy and emotional and just all kinds of great. :)



4 STARS! Another great novel by Ruthie Knox, Flirting With Disaster is sexy, fun, and emotional—guaranteed to satisfy! I'll be waiting to see how future books in this series turn out (especially the next novella, which brings Amber and Tony back!)




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Kame and I both received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for our honest opinions.

*Note: The quotes used belong to Ruthie Knox; Kame and TBQ's Book Palace does not claim them.

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Have you read Ruthie Knox? If so, which book do you love the most? If not, which book are you eager to read? (I highly recommend About Last Night and How to Misbehave!)







Enjoy!




Until Next Time,



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*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!

11 comments :

Kame said...

TBQ - oh your quotes are my FAVORITES I thought of using them - but thought they were too long! Love it we like the same parts!

The_Book_Queen said...

:D I had to share them, there was just no way to cut that passages down to one-liners to share. :) But let me tell ya, it took me FOREVER to write them up. Obviously the publisher has the ebook protected from just "copy/paste" which meant I had to pull up a blank document and the adobe book file and type away. So if there are any errors--it's my fault not the author's fault. ;)
I think that was a good post--we had different things to say, sure, but we liked the same parts in the book. So, in other words, dear readers, go buy this book! :)
Enjoy!
TBQ

Kame said...

Yes go buy the book - or for that matter if you haven't already - go buy the whole series!

Anna@herding cats said...

Oh it sounds fun! I love when the hero or heroine are a little different. You don't read too many with stutters. Interesting. Enjoyed getting both your takes on the book ladies!

Lover Of Romance said...

Oooh sounds like a enticing story that I need to get my hands on. Quotes were awesome--laughing my head off over here LOL I do love a strong emotional read.

Kame said...

Lover - Yes it is a great read - but try with Camelot 1 first and then go - the whole series is awesome!

Kame said...

Thank you! I really liked Sean and I loved how Katie just accepted him. He is so quick with the comments and sexy as sin!

Red Iza said...

Loved your quotes ! I was just looking for a book without an overbearing alpha male, I think I found one thanks to you ;)

The_Book_Queen said...

I think you'll really like Sean then! :D
Enjoy,
TBQ

Red Iza said...

And I read it, and I loved it ! Thank you for making me discover that series :) Because, I started with the third, then went with the first, and the second and now I'm waiting for the next release. I even created a special tag for it : "books-i-read-with-a-smile-on-my-face" !

The_Book_Queen said...

YEAH! :) I'm sooo glad to hear that! And I love that tag you created--really, her books do that to me, too!
Kame and I will be doing another double review with Making it Last (comes out this month), so keep your eye out for that! And we're working on getting Ruthie on the blog again, too.
Enjoy!
TBQ