Publisher: DreamWarp Books (November 2, 2016)
Series: Dirty, 1
Genre: NA Contemporary
A gorgeous rock star.
An indecent proposal.
How can a girl resist?
Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.
Love maker. Heartbreaker.
Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.
Then Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.
Which is fine with Katie, since she's not about to trust her heart to rock's most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe…
An indecent proposal.
How can a girl resist?
Struggling barista Katie Bloom doesn’t even know who Jesse Mayes is until she inadvertently wins the coveted role of sex kitten in his hot new music video. But by the time she’s in bed with him, she knows his reputation.
Love maker. Heartbreaker.
Making out with a stranger in front of a camera crew isn’t how Katie imagined herself getting over a broken heart, but when Jesse touches her, sparks fly. The sex is fake but the chemistry is real, and soon the steamy video is blazing up the charts.
Then Jesse makes Katie an irresistible offer: act as his girlfriend for six weeks while he promotes his new album. The only catch? Their sizzling make-out sessions will be for the cameras only.
Which is fine with Katie, since she's not about to trust her heart to rock's most legendary lover. Her body? Maybe…
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My Review:
Katie only stopped by the office to visit her best friend. She never expected to run into a rock star. And she never dreamed of being asked to model in his new music video. But the money wouldn't hurt, and her friend convinces her to live a little, which is how she finds herself on the set in nothing but her underwear (because of course the song is all about sex). How hard can it be to make out with a gorgeous rock star? Not hard at all, as it turns out, because the chemistry between her and Jesse is anything BUT fake.
When Katie walked away from the shoot that day, she figured that was the end of it. Until Jesse shows up a few days later, asking her to play the part of his fake girlfriend on tour. A tour that starts that week. Again, Katie is unsure, but who can turn down a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity like this? 6 weeks should fly . . . as long as she can keep her heart out of the equation.
"Favorite sexual position?"
"My face. Between your legs."
My laughter choked off as heat flushed my cheeks. Right. Oral fixation. "Oh . . . " I swallowed. "Isn't that more of a foreplay position?"
He didn't answer, just chewed his gum and smiled.
I really enjoyed Dirty Like Me, especially the start of the novel, which was very fun and teasing (on the video set in particular). Plus it has two great tropes: rock star hero and a fake relationship -- which we all know turns into a real one before long.
And while overall I did really like this book, I must admit that the middle and ending of the book was a bit more uneven for me than the beginning.
I felt like the middle of the book was bogged down and didn't move much; I even lost track of what day it was, and kept thinking "The tour must be nearly over . . . " only to find out a few pages later that they still had weeks left.
Part of the problem was tied into the sex.
Now hold on, let me explain!
The sex was off the charts hot, and I loved every scene. You won't hear me complain about that! You also won't hear me say "There was too much sex in it!" because those statements are purely opinion; what one reader sees as "too much" is not the same as another reader.
Instead, here's what I mean: I wish there had been more between the sex, more conversation between Katie and Jesse, more connection and growth in their relationship. I wish there had been more of the two getting to know one another alongside all the dirty, fantastic sex marathons going on.
So it's not that I wanted less sex; I just wanted there to be more to balance out that sex.
Because the sex? UNF, yes. Just yes. Here's a tease:
"You, Katie Bloom, are every fucking wet dream I had when I was a kid."
Then he ate me out. I gasped into my hand to keep from making too much noise. I teetered in my high heels and he pressed me against the wall. He licked and sucked at my clit until I was dripping, aching, kind of wishing he would fuck me right here, but I didn't know if he had a condom.
While he feasted on me, he undid his jeans, took his cock out, and jacked himself off. And oh, God . . . it was way too fucking much. I could see him working his cock in his hand, his rings glinting in the shadows. His breaths got faster the more I squirmed with arousal. He moaned and I felt the vibrations in my clit. I came suddenly on his tongue, clutching his hair in fistfuls and gasping into the dark while he sucked on me.
Afterward he stood up in front of me, his hard length still in his fist.
"Didn't do much for you?" I teased, breathless, glancing down at his cock. He hadn't come yet.
He held my face with his other hand and kissed me hungrily. "This is what you do to me," he said. Then he groaned against my neck as he came, jerking himself on my pussy.
I also felt like Katie lost herself once she met Jesse. Now admittedly, even before he showed up, she was unsure about herself and her future. But once she hit the road with the band, it was like she lost herself completely. Even though this is a New Adult age range, I'm not a fan of the heroine (or hero, for that matter) losing herself in the relationship, no matter how great the relationship/romance is.
The ending felt rushed for me. In fact, Katie briefly mentions what I just pointed out -- that she had lost herself -- but just as quickly as she said it, she also jumped into agreeing to a long term relationship with Jesse. I don't know, it just felt like nothing had changed, and Jesse's idea for how she could start painting and drawing again just seemed like a convenient way to wrap it up, but didn't actually show Katie working through her choices and dreams.
Also, spoiler I suppose, but I wasn't sold on the proposal, because again I felt like she started to see how she needed to find herself before moving their relationship forward, but then backtracked and jumped for joy at marriage instead. I'm not saying they didn't belong together, or that she's not allowed to want marriage with Jesse. Rather, I wish we could have first seen her taking charge of her life and plans and then walking down the aisle to her HEA.
That being said, I am curious about the other band mates. Dylan likes to wear a kilt and I need to know more about him. Obviously. Zane is a player, but has a bit of history -- or teasing -- with Maggie, so I'm definitely looking forward to their book, which comes out next.
Overall: Dirty Like Me had a great start, a few slow downs/bumps in the middle and latter part, but not bad enough to ding my enjoyment too much. It's extremely sexy and while I'm not complaining about that, I do wish there had been more relationship development alongside their bedroom fun. I can see this rock star romanc appealing to many readers, and I'll happily recommend it myself. I'll be continuing the series for sure.
4 STARS!
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I received an e-ARC of this book from the author.
*Note: The quotes used belong to Jaine Diamond; TBQ's Book Palace does not claim them. Any mistakes or typos in the quotes are my own fault.
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A little birdie told me that Dirty Like Me will be $0.99 next week. So if you're interested in the book but you're also a deal hunter (totally understand that!), be sure to check on the 7th!
Note: Book is told in alternating 1st POV.
I shared quite a few quotes on Twitter while I was reading. You can find them all HERE.
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*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!
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