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Join me today in celebrating Susanna Carr's Let Them Talk as part of a Tasty Book Tours Release Day Blast!
This book in the Encounters series is a collection of steamy short stories. Published in the Harlequin Blaze line - so you know the book will be extra spicy, Let Them Talk was released on February 1st and is available at retailers now! Stay with me for a blurb, excerpt, author information and a giveaway!
The Book:
A risqué book club inspires three women to be naughty… THE DIARY
Sydney Tate is writing a fictional erotic diary inspired by the town's mouthwateringly hot mayor, Matthew Stone. Then her "diary" disappears and suddenly Matthew is bringing all of Sydney's secret fantasies to life!
TALK OF THE TOWN
Armed with a seduction how-to guide, librarian Isabel Bennett is pulling out every trick in the book to tempt Sean Hawkins. The oh-so-sexy businessman is about to find out just how bad this good girl can be…
CRAVING YOU
Laura Dawson is desperate to get her gorgeous neighbor, Connor Adams, into her bed. So she turns to an aphrodisiac cookbook to serve up the most tantalizing, irresistible dish Connor has ever seen herself.
Let Them Talk is available now:
Excerpt:
There was something different in the way he looked at her today. His light blue eyes held a predatory gleam.Impossible. The man had no interest in hunting her. It was wishful thinking on her part."Why are you here, Sean? I don't remember you coming into the library before." She tilted her head as she considered his lack of visits. "Do you have a library card?""I wanted to talk to you about your book club," he said. "I want in."She blinked a few times. She couldn't possibly have heard that correctly. "Excuse me?""I want to join your book club."He seemed serious. "Why?" The word dragged out of her mouth."Why do most people join a book club? To discuss books and read something out of their comfort zone."Isabel frowned. "You only read e-mails and business magazines.""True." Sean nodded. "Time to broaden my horizons, don't you think?""No. What are you up to, Sean?" She couldn't figure out what his angle could be."When's your next meeting?"She straightened her shoulders. No, no, no. He wasn't going to invade her book club. She wasn't going to have him ask provocative questions or slice through her arguments. Okay, so that would be welcome in most book clubs, but she wasn't going to share her thoughts with him about these books. "It's by invitation only.""Then invite me."She shivered at his low and rough voice. "No.""Why not?""You wouldn't understand." Their meetings were her safe place. A time to bounce ideas off her friends and ask questions. After plenty of Sunday dinners with Sean, she knew the book club's discussions would completely deteriorate into a battle of wills if he was there.Sean rested his chin against his hand. "Are you worried that I would learn all your secrets? Find out all the tricks and tips from your readings?"It was a concern. Knowledge was power. These books emboldened her and she was learning how to reach out and take what she wanted. But the bold side of her wasn't fully formed, and she couldn't discuss these subjects with him until it was."I want to join the book club," he said firmly."No." Never. Not going to happen.
My Review:
I'm a pretty big fan of Harlequin. I go through phases where I devour Harlequin books. They're usually the ideal length for an afternoon 'book snack' - a couple hundred pages, a guaranteed happy ending and neatly divided by line so that if I'm in the mood for a certain type of romance, I can quickly browse the appropriate line's most recent releases for something new to read. I've mentioned this before, but I started book review blogging because of my periodic Harlequin addiction.
So that said, Let Them Talk surprised me a bit because of the three short story format. Any of the stories in this book could have made for a full-length novel, which I was quite happy about. There's lots of good romance material here!
I absolutely love the idea of a risqué book club being the basis for the story. Who hasn't been affected by a book? When 50 Shades of Grey became so popular, there were plenty of articles out there about how it was affecting the sex lives of women and men all over the place. Let Them Talk has its heroines reading an erotic diary, a how-to seduction guide and a cookbook featuring aphrodisiacs. I wish we'd gotten a little sample from each of these because of the impact that they had or inspiration they provided.
I think the first story was the weakest for me, but I really liked the second and third. The first short story is a bit abrupt, with a lot of telling and less showing than I would like. I completely understood the need to quickly establish the love interests and the pressure to introduce the town and the larger cast and concept, but.... But. I think that Matthew is particularly shortchanged as we're given a laundry list of his characteristics rather than much opportunity to see him really shine.
Having said that, I was really drawn in by the second story - the idea of the good-girl librarian breaking loose of that reputation and the reformed bad boy charged with keeping her line really hooked me.
Bottom Line:
Let Them Talk is well worth an afternoon spent reading - or if you only have an hour to spare, it's broken into convenient pieces for you! Exactly what I'd expect from a Harlequin book, it's a bit brisk but generally satisfying! I'd recommend it to fans of contemporary romance looking for a quick fix.
4 stars
For fans of Harlequin Blaze books, contemporary romance, books about books
The Author:
Susanna Carr is an award-winning author known for her contemporary romances. Readers throughout the world find Susanna's stories a delightful escape that has often helped them through difficult times. Reviewers frequently describe her work as "fun", "sexy" and "a must read." When she isn't writing or spending time with her family in the Pacific Northwest, Susanna enjoys reading romance and connecting with readers online.
Thank you for hosting today! ~Gaele (for Lisa)
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