Exposed to You by Beth Kery
Released: November 6, 2012
Erotic Contemporary
Berkley

Reviewed by Mandi

I’m a big fan of Beth Kery. She not only gives us some smokin’ hot sex, but a really well done story in this book. Let me also note, while these are all stand alones, she previously published two books, Addicted to You and Bound to You under the pen name Bethany Kane. The hero and heroines from those books are brought in as supporting characters in this book. I highly recommend those two books as well.

Joy is an artist, teaching at an art school for gifted kids in California and she also helps her uncle sometimes in the make-up department on set of Hollywood movies. Joy is very close with her Uncle Seth, as her dad left the family long ago and her mom died of cancer when she was younger.

When this book starts, two things happen to Joy. One, she gets diagnosed with cancer herself. And secondly, while painting on a tattoo to an actor (she doesn’t know who it is because he is in full makeup, including a mask) she realizes there is tense sexual tension in the air as she paints this tattoo on his lower abdomen, which leads to her giving him a blow job. This is not something that Joy normally does, and she doesn’t know what came over her. Before she can even get the man’s name, they get separated. Joy moves on, successful with her cancer treatments, leaving California and starting fresh in Chicago.

This mystery man is the very famous actor Everett Hughes. He can’t believe he let a random woman pleasure him and he also can’t believe he let her get away. By chance, he is in Chicago for the movie’s premiere, and runs into Joy at a coffee shop. He remembers her and soon explains to her why he knows her. He encourages her to go to the premiere with him. This is a new Joy though. While she is currently cancer free, it has changed her life. She is scared by his offer, but at the same time, she has a ‘live in the moment’ urge. So she agrees.

There are many things I enjoyed about this book. Both Joy and Everett are great characters. Joy is very closed off about her cancer, not telling many friends or Everett. While she doesn’t necessarily want her cancer scare to define who she is, obviously it is a huge thing to go through and it still affects her. While she is very open sexually, when Everett makes the sex more emotional it scares her. But I love that she embraces sex with him. She never feels bad about having it (which seems to happen so much in romance books). She lets the relationship unfold organically. And when she does get scared, even though Everett doesn’t know why she is scared (as he doesn’t know about her cancer) he is so patient and kind.

Everett is just an all around good guy. While he is super famous, he is pretty grounded with close friends and a sister always ready to put him in his place. While his celebrity status isn’t thrown in our face, it is acknowledged. I think at one point his sister reminds him that the majority of the world, including Joy up until now, knows him as Everett the movie star, rather than Everett the average guy. Stereotypes are there, and he has to remind Joy who he really is.  He really falls for Joy hard, and I love that he courts and woos her. This book, for all of the hot sex scenes, really gives these two a chance to get to know each other. They hang out, talk, have fun. And the author shows us this. This is missing from so many books that I really appreciate it when an author takes the time to show the reader the two characters falling in love.

And as I’ve mentioned, the sex. Oh the sex in this book is so hot. A truly well done erotic romance book.

Rating: B+

Recent Reviews:
Dear Author – B
Babbling About Books – B+
Love to Read for Fun – B-
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