Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson (Mechanics of Love #1)
Released: June 16, 2015
Contemporary Romance
Avon

Reviewed by Mandi

Cal and Jenna were hot and heavy and lovey-dovey in high school but things didn’t last. Jenna’s very wealthy family never meshed well with Cal’s blue-collared mechanic family, and Jenna left for New York City, and left Cal behind. But Jenna never found peace and happiness in the city, and ten years later decides to move back to her hometown and take a PR job in her family’s company.

Cal is a grump and boy do I love a grumpy hero. Cal’s mother abandoned him and his two brothers when he was young, and Cal ended up raising his siblings with his not so present father. Cal feels like he has all ready lived an entire adult life, and never wants to get married or have a family of his own. He goes to work with his dad and brothers at their auto repair shop, comes home and enjoys the quiet of his own house. He wants nothing else in life. Then Jenna moves back to town and guess what? She has car problems. Cal helps her out and all those darn feelings from ten years ago rush back to the surface. They revert back to their physical lusting quick – but it’s those pesky emotional feelings that Cal has to take on slowly.

I really enjoyed this book – as I mentioned Cal is a grumpy hero and those appeal to me for some reason. He is blue-collared, and smokes, and has a redneck tan and is hot as hell. I loved Jenna too. She comes back to town and fully accepts her feelings for Cal, but she knows him well. She knows how hard it is for him to let his guard down and let her in. She knows he is not the same as he was when he was eighteen and impulsive. And she knows how much of a man he is now.

He licked his lips, his eyes still on his lap. “Lift up your dress, Jenna.”

Her breath left her lungs on a whoosh. His voice was low and firm and so confident. This was what he’d been lacking when they were teenagers and frankly, this was what every man after him had been lacking too.

She doesn’t push for more, but she doesn’t scamper away either. She knows Cal is stubborn and when he eventually does let her in, it’s so sweet.  They have great chemistry together and even though they fall into bed quick in this one, their journey to finding peace to make their relationship work in the long-run is well done. Their bickering is almost as fun as their sexy times:

I know they’re brownies. What’re they for?”

“They aren’t for anything. It’s just a box of brownie mix.”

“If they aren’t for anything, then why are they in my cart?”

Asher’s head was shifting back and forth between the two of them. Jenna fought her irritation. “Because everyone should have brownie mix on hand. It’s like Keeping House 101.”

Cal leaned back and placed a hand on his chest. “Well, damn. No one told me that. I guess I’ve been failing Keeping House 101 for ten fucking years then.” “Can you not swear in the baked goods aisle, Cal?”

“Can you not throw random shit we don’t need in the cart?”

She threw up her hands. “Fine, put the brownies back on the shelf. I don’t care.”

Cal studied the boxes in front of him and then placed the brownies Jenna had picked back on the shelf. She watched, arms over her chest, as he picked up a box labeled Chocolate Chunk and tossed that in his cart instead.

He looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She tapped her fingers on her elbows. “Really?”

He drew an imaginary check mark in the air. “Chocolate Chunk beats Ultimate Fudge. Just saying.”

Other highlights of this book: Cal’s younger brother Brent is a riot. He gives Cal the hardest time and it made me laugh and laugh. He never stops talking, and he knows exactly what to say to needle Cal. His book is next and I can’t wait to see what kind of woman can put up with him.

There is also a surprise guest that falls into Cal’s life and I loved this addition. He adds so much to this story. You’ll have to read the book to find out who I’m talking about – but he gave me all the smiles.

A very sexy, strong contemporary romance. Excited for this series.

Rating: B+

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