I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Lush
by
Lauren Dane
erotic romance in Paperback edition that was published by Berkley Trade on April 2, 2013 and has 304 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Three to Tango, Cherished, Insatiable, Laid Bare
Third in the Delicious erotic romance series which is how a group of women friends refer to themselves. It’s also the name of Mary’s supper club.
My Take
It’s sweetness and light with bits of drama and lots of sex thrown in.
Okay, that’s just a bit weird. Damien gets hard watching a woman cut up tomatoes. Guess that’s the key to true love…*much rolling of the eyeballs…* I do love how very thoughtful Damien is in his attentions to Mary.
Her friends are, as Mary says, dookieheads for the way they go after what she has with Damien. I do like Mary’s practicality about her “relationship” with Damien. I guess it’s part of what contributes to my sense of disbelief in Mary’s later reactions.
I shouldn’t have thought that Mary was that kind of person; it wasn’t how her character was laid out. Nor does it feel right, especially after all the hassles that Gillian has gone through in her romance with Adrian. I mean, they’re all so close. They’re intelligent people. And Mary doesn’t pick up on how easily (and gleefully) the press distorts stuff?
I love this: “She can whip up a freaking gourmet meal from a convenience store on the dashboard of a car.”
I also enjoyed Vaughan pulling Damien up about those club photos of Mary all dressed up, drinking, and dancing. Nice bit of pointing out the double standard!
It is a sweet story with lots of sex that’s all dressed up in love. Oddly enough, it misses that warmth of family and friends that I did enjoy so much in Cherished: Sway, Delicious 1.
The Story
It’s a night to remember for Damien Hurley when he comes to Adrian’s engagement party, for it’s the night he meets Mary. A deliciously luscious woman who wins him over with her loyalty, love, and, ooh, yeah, that deliciously luscious cooking!
The Characters
Mary Whaley, a.k.a. Curley, is a chef who loves to feed and nurture her friends. Her dad calls her Bess and both her parents, Jeanne and Mike, love her. Cal and Ryan are her brothers.
Damien Hurley is the drummer in the family band, Sweet Hollow Ranch, named for the family ranch. Ezra is the oldest brother and now works the ranch instead of playing on the road with his brothers; Paddy; and, Vaughan, who had been married for a short time and now has two girls: Maddie and Kensey. Sharon Hurley is their fiercely protective mom.
Adrian Brown and his sister Erin had their own band; now Erin only comes onstage once in awhile. Gillian, a.k.a., English, is Adrian’s fiancée and a fabulous graphic designer; Miles is her son and Adrian has taken both into his heart. Brody is Erin’s brother (not Adrian’s as well??) and a tattoo artist. Juliet “Jules” Lamprey is in a relationship with Cal Whaley, Mary’s brother, and Gideon Carter.
Daisy is Mary’s closest and dearest friend as well as a dancer and an artist; she’s with Levi Warner, a lawyer. Jonah is Levi’s older brother, a very protective, very alpha male. Mal is another brother with the incredibly rude wife. Raven is a motormouth but excellent at makeup.
Jean Louis Valpar is a celebrity chef in New York whom Mary worships. Kathy Bonebright is a snotty client who likes to throw her weight around.
The Cover and Title
The cover sums it up: hot tattooed man holding a plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries while sexy woman feeds him…one at a time.
The title is a reference to how Damien feels about Mary — her body, her reactions, her food. She’s Lush.
