The Billionaire Beast by Jackie Ashenden
Contemporary Romance
March 7, 2017
I love a beauty/beast themed book, especially one where the hero is so damaged he hasn’t left his house in ten years! Nero is a billionaire, and due to severe trauma in his childhood, he is a recluse. He has a problem with keeping assistants. His demands are high, and his assistants seem to quit after a very short time, even when he pays them extremely well. He demands not only immediate obedience, but 24/7 around the clock – and his demands range from “get me coffee” to “get me women to have sex with me for the night.”
Phoebe needs a ton of money to help keep her husband the care he needs, as he has been in a coma for two years. She is willing to put up with anything, as long as her husband continues to get good medical attention, which is how she finds herself applying to be Nero’s assistant.
I love a jerky/asshole hero who is redeemed. A hero who has suffered such pain, he can’t help himself to his jerky attitude. BUT. In this book Nero crosses a line for me. I DNF’d at 35% so I can’t tell you if he is redeemed or not – but the way he physically forces himself on Phoebe made me squirmy. Yes, she found him attractive, but he basically tells her he wants to sleep with her, and doesn’t understand the word “no.” His attitude is – I won’t physically hurt you so I don’t understand what the problem is?. Then he blackmails her by paying her husband’s medical bills and tells her at least now “you get something out of it and so do I.”
It was just rubbed me the wrong way. He was too mean and too pushy when it came to wanting sex. I didn’t like it.
Lickety Split by Damon Suede
Contemporary M/M
March 13, 2017
Years ago I read Hot Head by Damon Suede and I liked it. When I heard Lickety Split was coming out, and featured one hero in his forties, and the other in his twenties, I wanted to try it. Plus Tucker (40) was best friends with Patch’s (20) father. I was hoping for naughty fun.
I don’t remember the sex scenes in Hot Head – so I can’t compare, but I don’ think they could have been this…explicit…as in this book. I don’t even know if explicit is the right word. The romance scenes in this book turned me off. I found myself scrunching up my nose as I read. My own personal taste didn’t go with how this was worded. For example (putting under spoiler)
And his cock. Jesus.
Tucker’s fat bat was every bit as broad and brutal as Patch had dreamed, a beer can battering ram with a stubby upturned knob.
Tucker took his time and then some, tugging the shaft, scrubbing that juicy snout with calm focus, his eyes half-lidded.
[/spoiler]
That’s just a tiny excerpt. It just wasn’t for me. And this is a very erotic book, with many sex scenes, so I decided not to finish.
Wow! Um, that was unnecessarily explicit. I understand the ick factor.
I guess Hot Head was also super explicit – but I don’t remember because it’s been years. I’ll remember now going forward!
I don’t blame you for not finishing that. Whoa….snout is not a word that should be in a sex scene or the phrase beer can battering ram.
Doesn’t really portray …sexy (for me)
Huh, I love the premise of the Billionaire book, but yea…the forcing sex thing wouldn’t work for me. I’m super curious how it ends though….
I hope he is redeemed – some reviews say so, others say he remains an asshole to the last page.
Wow or should i say ewww, that is seriously the most unsexy description ever. Only good part was after I read that I looked up at the cover and the guy’s expression is yeah ick, made me laugh.
omg I just laughed out loud!!! I will never look at that guy’s expression the same again LOL
oh I can see why you would have issues with both of these. Especially the little excerpt you share…honestly it sounds more scary than sexy and man it sounds like there would be more pain involved.
So… explicit wouldn’t bother me, but this is just not sexy. You shouldn’t cringe that much over two sentences.