Friday, January 23, 2015

[ARC Review]: "Flirting with Disaster"

Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl
Publisher: HQN Books (January 27, 2015)
Series: Jackson: Girls' Night Out, 2
Genre: Contemporary Romance

There's no hiding from sizzling chemistry… 

Artist Isabelle West has good reasons for preferring a solitary life. Tucked away in a cabin in the woods, she has everything she needs . . . except a red-hot love life. That is, until a hard-bodied U.S. marshal threatens to unearth secrets she's spent years protecting. But giving in to the sparks flying between them can only lead to one thing…disaster. 

Tom Duncan lives by the letter of the law. But no one has tempted him—or confused him—more than free-spirited Isabelle, who arouses his suspicion and his desire. As their connection grows, and their nights get hotter, they find their wild attraction might shake everything he stands for—and expose everything she has to hide. 



Where to Buy*:
More Info:

Reviews of Dahl's Previous Books:

So Tough to Tame (#3) -- TBQ

Looking for Trouble (#1) -- TBQ


My Review:




 “It's really hard for a woman to like sex.”

“Because guys are terrible at it?”

“No,” she laughed. “Even aside from that. We're taught from day one that we're supposed to resist it. That we'll eventually be talked into it. That we don't want it as much, and we definitely don't need it. Not like boys do. I believed that. So much so that I wasn't the least concerned that I'd never had an orgasm. Because lots of women don't.”

He nodded.

“Can you imagine that? I mean really. Think about that. What if you had sex your whole life and never came?”

Tom frowned. “That's awful.”

“It is awful!” she shouted, laughing again. “And that was almost my life! But then when I figured out how much I liked sex and exactly how I liked it . . . Jesus, that's even more confusing. To be a woman and like sex. To want things just as much as the man does and still be treated as if you've given in and given something away. It's no wonder women hit their sexual peaks later in life. It takes decades to find the confidence to have good sex.”

Tom was frowning harder now. “How so?”

She shook her head. “Some men can make it hard to feel good about it afterward, no matter how much you liked it. Men say things like 'I got some' or 'She put out,' or whatever that dialogue is. Girls are stupid cows giving the milk away for free. And suddenly you feel like you were conquered.”

“Oh.” Tom had never heard anything like that before.

“It takes a lot of self-possession to know that a man's attitude doesn't change what you wanted. It doesn't change what you got out of it.”



Do you know why I love Victoria Dahl's novels? Her heroines always take charge of their sexuality, they're not afraid to want sex. They know what they want and they take it. I love seeing that in a heroine. On top of that, Dahl writes some really sexy romances. Take charge heroines and steamy sex? I'm in!


When Flirting with Disaster started, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Isabelle; in the opening chapter, she seemed so prickly, so different. It didn't take long before I liked her though. She's strong and confident and has a few artistic quirks. Like with all of Dahl's characters, there's more to Isabelle than meets the eye. 




“Well, I don't travel, but I'm not lonely. I have my work, my friends, and my home. And internet porn. Live is good.”

Tom tripped over a snowdrift and nearly fell flat on his face. Isabelle laughed as he dusted snow off his knee.

So much for her reserve. “If you said that to shock me, it worked,” he said.

“I said it because it's true.” She grinned over her shoulder as she kept moving. “Try to keep up.”

He had a feeling she didn't mean walking, but he hurried to catch up all the same.



Of course I liked Tom. He's strong, too, and loyal. I loved that he was always thrown for a loop when Isabelle said something shocking to him.

  


 “I know you're on duty tonight. I'll try not to bother you. But later, when you're alone, think about me.”

His eyes flew to the open doors and the kitchen beyond, and he kept his voice low. “You're trying to shock me again.”

She shrugged. “Not really. I'll think about you, too. I already have.”


The meaning of her words slapped into him as if she'd landed flat on the surface of a pool. He'd never talked about this with a woman, never had a woman ask him to masturbate to her. And he'd certainly never been told that she'd already done the same for him.



The scenes between these two . . . wow. Steamy, full of sizzling chemistry and lively banter. I marked up a lot of passages on my Kindle and I may have panted a time or two . . . Okay, I definitely panted a few times.  




 “Do it. Sophie's not here to protect you anymore. It's just you and my cruel demands.”

“I think I read a book like that recently,” Isabelle muttered.

“Yeah, well . . . Wear something pretty for me or you'll be punished.”

“Does this mean I'm not allowed to wear panties?”

“Whatever it takes.”



I also love how Dahl creates strong bonds between the heroine and her friends. I loved the interactions between Isabelle and her girl friends, too. They made me laugh and smile.




 “I'm sorry I can't keep you company.”

“It's okay,” she said. “I'll make good use of you in my imagination. If you feel your ears burning, that's me sucking your cock.”



Victoria Dahl knows how to write extremely sexy, smart, and banter-licious romances, and I devour each one, anxious for more!


4 STARS! 


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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 do not claim them. Also note that they are from an ARC copy, and therefore the quotes may not match completely with the final copy.

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I couldn't help myself -- I had to go a bit quote crazy again! :) I so love Dahl's books, and I hope that those quotes and my review helped to explain why! 

Have you read Victoria Dahl before? Do you have a favorite?



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!

6 comments :

Anna@herding cats&burning soup said...

This is the second Yay! on this one I've seen this week. Sounds like I really need to give her books a go. I'm all for take charge heroines :D

Trish Hannon said...

Sounds like a great read! And I love that the main characters is strong and feisty, that's the kind of character that is always fun to read about :)

The_Book_Queen said...

Yes, feisty heroines are always part of Victoria's stories, and it makes it so much fun! :)

The_Book_Queen said...

You definitely must -- her books are just great. :D

RO said...

This dialogue is exactly the reason I'll always be a fan of Victoria Dahl. I don't think she could write a bad novel if she tried. The first book I read and reviewed from this fab author was A LITTLE BIT WILD, a historical romance released in 2010 that had me laughing and crying almost at the same time. I had to get every one of her books after that. Your review is awesome and a much appreciated reminder that I need to grab it when released! Hugs...

The_Book_Queen said...

It's true --- I don't think Dahl is capable of writing a bad novel! :) My first time reading her was one of her historicals -- To Tempt a Scotsman, I believe. And I loved it! I still need to catch up on her backlist titles, but the last few years I've been devouring each new contemporary from Harlequin. :D


I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!