Friday, July 24, 2015

[ARC Review]: "Taking the Heat"

Taking the Heat by Victoria Dahl
Publisher: HQN Books (August 1, 2015)
Series: Jackson: Girls' Night Out, 3
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Passion this hot can't be faked… 

All revved up for bright lights and steamy nights, writer Veronica Chandler chased her dreams to New York City. When she hit a dead end, reality sent her back home to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Saving her pride and her new gig—writing a relationship advice column!—requires some faking. No one can know the truth about her big-city flop or her nonexistent sex life. But the town's irresistibly rugged librarian is determined to figure her out… and give her hands-on lessons in every wicked thing she wants to know. 

Gabe MacKenzie's heart might be in Wyoming, but secretly his future's tied up in his family's Manhattan legacy. Getting down and dirty with Veronica is supposed to give him a few memorable nights—not complicate his plans. But the thing about heat this scorching is there's just no going back… and it might be too hot for either of them to take.



Where to Buy*:
More Info:
Reviews of Dahl's Previous Books:

So Tough to Tame (#3) -- TBQ

Looking for Trouble (#1) -- TBQ


My Review:



“Gah. Unf. Buy now!” is how I would summarize my first thoughts on this book. And it fits! But I suppose my review should be more helpful than that.


As always, Dahl gives us a strong heroine to connect with and a sexy hero to love, along with plenty of fun lines and steamy action.


Gabe is a librarian. With a beard. And he loves to go down down on Veronica. Take a moment to absorb all that.


ARE YOU ONE CLICKING YET?



I am a dick-sucking savant.

Yes. That was it. And she was the perfect match for a world-class pussy eater like Gabe.



Veronica may have her insecurities and worries, as well as that pesky virginity she wants to get rid of, but she's still willing to change, to go after what she wants. And I appreciated that. I especially appreciated the fact that she later helped Gabe to see what he really wanted in life, what he needed.


And the sex . . . oh, damn! Hot, dirty, smutty goodness. My only (somewhat) coherent response is “UNF”. Trust me.


I loved so many different parts of this book, for a variety of reasons (sexy, funny, sweet, etc). But my favorite quote was this deep, but simple message:




“If your life had lined up for you and you'd done everything perfectly, how would you be able to help other people with their problems? How would you even understand them? You'd just tell them to buck up and try harder. But you don't do that. You see people's problems through the lens of someone who's fucked a few things up. You sympathize. You feel for them. You get it. That's your gift.”




Really, if “sexy-bearded-librarian-cunnilingus-loving hero” didn't make you one-click this book, I'm not sure there's much else I can say to convince you to do so. Other than, perhaps this: Dahl delivers a hot, fun read yet again.


4 1/2 STARS! 


~ * ~ * ~

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

*Note: The quotes used belong to Victoria Dahl; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim them.

~ * ~ * ~



*happy sigh* Oh, I so loved this book. Then again, I've loved almost every book from Dahl. Highly recommend her! 

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on July 30th for a chance to WIN an ecopy of your own!








Enjoy!


Until Next Time,


Photobucket

  *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!

7 comments :

Lover Of Romance said...

This sounds like a fantastic book here!! The hero is a librarian...that is brilliant!!

Erin Burns said...

I've been looking forward to this one, but Harlequin declined me, of course they always decline me :(

Adria @ Adria's Romance Review said...

You had me at hot and sexy! I've been curious about this author since I see her books pop up on other blogs a lot. Is there a particular book of hers you recommend I start with?

The_Book_Queen said...

Right? There aren't many hero librarians, sadly!

The_Book_Queen said...

Ah, damn. :( Just a few more days and Gabe can be all yours though! :)

The_Book_Queen said...

Oooh . . . I don't know if I could pick one for you to start with! The good thing is even with her series, you can easily jump into the middle and not be lost, but they're also great read in order so you can fully explore the characters and town, etc. I'd say . . . perhaps start with book 1 in this series? I've not read all of her books yet, but I've yet to be disappointed. She also wrote a few historicals, which were fantastic, too!

Lover Of Romance said...

I know!! Maybe we should go on strike LOL