Novel Review: Flat-Out Sexy (Fast Track, #1) by Erin McCarthy

Rating (Out of 5): ~2-2.5

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Berkley Sensation (Penguin)

Release Date: 2008

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Independent single mother Tamara Briggs wanted to find a new, sexy, no-strings-attached man--just not one as young as NASCAR driver Elec Monroe. But he sure does get her heart racing. And after she’s tricked into a blind date with him, Tamara gives in to her passion. Things screech to a halt, though, when he asks to meet her children. Whatever happened to wham-bam-thank-you ma’am? Suddenly Tamara has to decide how much risk she’s willing to take to experience the power of true love.

The Cover:

I don't particularly like this cover. The position is a little off, it doesn't really stand out or look any better than most other adult romance covers. I guess the font and the fact he's leaning on a car (he is, right?) fits the book. I don't know, I'm just not a big fan of it.

Quotes:

• "...he had never seen any point in yelling about something that could just as easily be fixed by talking about it.” (Mass Market Paperback, pg. 82)
• "It had been something she’d taken for granted in her marriage, the soft and random brushes, the right to invade someone else’s personal space, and the ease of having a man’s strong hand on her waist.” (Pg. 112-113)

Review:

I was really hoping to like this, and all of the other McCarthy books I’ve read so far have been really good, but this one had one somewhat big problem with it.

I liked Tamara, and I liked Elec. They were both hot and sweet together, and I liked their chemistry. They were fun together, and I liked seeing them get closer. I also really liked seeing Elec get to know Tamara’s kids, those scenes were just plain heartwarming. I liked Elec’s family, and Tamara’s parents-in-law. It started out really good, and the ending was nice. It was a little slow at points, but overall not too bad. I would have liked some more conclusion for the mess with the girl blackmailing Elec, and his [omitted cause spoilers] problem, but oh well. I did really like, too, that Elec had a problem like that, if only for the fact that that’s barely ever mentioned in books.

But I did have one problem with it. There was a really bad amount of slut-shaming. At first I didn’t think it was going to be a thing, but then it kept showing up. And it flat-out made me uncomfortable. There was one scene in particular where a friend of theirs brought a ‘bimbo’ to a group dinner, and the girl was portrayed as extremely dumb and like she was simply there for her good looks and that she was a gold digger. And she was supposed to be an example of the driver’s groupies. It was uncomfortable to read, it wasn't needed, and it really pissed me off.

And not only that, but Elec and Tamara slut shamed other groupie girls, the girls who Elec used to be with and who wanted him now. While at the same time, they acknowledged that if Tamara did those things for Elec (like send nude photos), it would be totally fine. Like that isn’t hypocritical. It just pissed me off, it really wasn’t needed, and they didn’t learn anything from it. It made me knock off a bit from the rating.

I was hoping this would be better, but the slut-shaming really hit me the wrong way. I hope that whatever I pick up of McCarthy’s next is better.

Novel Review: Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance (with sex)

Publisher: Brava (Kensington Books)

Publish Date: 2007

Spoilers?: Not really.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In Love, There’s No Such Thing As A Simple Plan

Rule #1: Cops maintain their distance.
It was just supposed to be your average stakeout. My partner and I would scope out both the coffee shop and Laurel Wilkins, the latest target of con man Trevor Dean’s scheme to meet women online and bilk them of their money--and everything else.

Rule #2: Cops think fast on their feet.
So I went inside to get a better look. So she happened to be gorgeous with a body that made me temporarily forget how to order coffee. So she knew my name-Russ Evans-and hugged me like we were more than friends. So what the $#@ is going on?

Rule #3: Cops never, ever get involved.
At least she's willing to offer herself up as bait. All I have to do is keep her safe--and keep my hands off. Anything else would be against the rules. And oh so tempting...

Something Specific:
Quotes:

• "My whole life I’ve done what other people have wanted me to do. I’ve been good, polite, considerate, and most of the time I don’t mind that. I mean, I don’t want to be not nice or good or considerate, but for once I want to be selfish. Wild.’” (Mass Market Paperback, pg. 25)
• You are so hot,’ the guy said, his hand sinking lower, a finger tracing the waistband of her skirt. What the heck was she supposed to say to that? I have good genes? It’s the alcohol talking? You’re hot, too? Laurel tried to smile. ‘Thank you.’” (Pg. 190) I mean, really. Why do some people think saying/acting like that is actually going to get a person to want them? 
• I want something more for my life, but I’m not sure what that is.’ […] ‘I just know I’m going to get it, whatever it might be.’” (Pg. 247)

 
The Cover:

I like both covers for this series, the one above and the fish one. Admittedly, the one above is highly embarrassing, and it works for this genre without really having a significant symlence to this book, aside from, you know, the romantic aspect. The fish one is much more innocent, not embarrassing, giving a clue as to the cutesy, light-hearted parts of the book, as opposed to the steamy ones. They both work, a different one might be able to show the book better, but I like them. And, to be honest, I'm not even really sure what the title has to do with the book. It must be something deeper than I've thought of yet, I guess.

 

Review:

This is the first Erin McCarthy book I’ve read, aside from maybe some short stories in a couple anthologies, and I was really surprised. I’m not sure why I expected her books to be less in the sex, or why I’ve never picked up one of hers before, aside from maybe the fact that I’ve never heard much of anything about her books. But now I definitely plan to pick up another, because this was really good.

Laurel is deaf, and has inherited quite a bit of money and property, and has pretty much holed herself in the house she lives in with her mother for the past five years. Then she goes out to meet this guy she talked to online, Russ Evans. Only, instead, to find out that she’s been talking to a con man, and the real Russ is a lot more than she’d thought he would be.

I liked both Russ and Laurel. They were genuine, they shied away from their love at first, but gave into their lust relatively easily, and didn’t wait until the last page to admit their love for each other, and I really appreciated that. I liked their relationship, but I also liked them on their own.

Russ is an alpha male, wanting to take charge and care for Laurel, but he doesn’t ooze it like Lori Foster’s (who I will expand on the comparison in a minute) characters do, and I really liked that. Foster’s males are sometimes a bit too much, and Russ’ masculinity and power was a bit underplayed, even while obviously there at all times, and I liked that. A lot. He’s a cop, and he’s taking care of his younger brother, and I liked seeing him grow, as well. Coming around to accepting love, and growing into the parenting role, at least somewhat, for his rebelling brother.

Laurel is young and afraid and trying to grow into herself. She shied away from the world when her father died five years ago, using that as an excuse, but is ready to go back out there. And I really liked her deciding to go out and do stuff again, and where she was at the end of the book. I was kind of hoping she’d move out on her own to do some of it, but finding her part with Russ and his brother, that worked as well. I related quite a bit with Laurel, and that helped my liking her. Also, I liked how her deafness was explored, and how it wasn’t treated as a disability, just a part of her.

I liked the writing, and the switching of points of view (although sometimes there weren’t the blank spaces between them, although I think that was more a format error than a fault of the author). There was quite a bit of sex in this book, and that surprised me for some reason, and I really liked that. It was steamy, there was a variety, and it was just generally fun.

It reminded me quite a lot of Lori Foster’s books. It was steamy, the point of view changes, the general character set up, the instant attraction (admittedly, a lot of these characteristics could be used to explain a lot of these types of books, though). Although this one might have actually had more sex than Foster’s do, and the male character wasn’t such an overbearing alpha, as I mentioned above, which I liked. The characters didn’t wait so long to say “I love you” in this book. There was a more serious focus to the book, the cop case, although it seems like most romance authors feel they have to have some bigger plot for the characters to meet around. 

Overall, I just really liked this book. It was entertaining, fun, sweet, sexy. And I plan to get my hands on another of McCarthy’s books soon.