TEST
Dr. Will Sexton hasn’t had sex in a long time: five months, to be precise. He’s dating another doctor, but she’s saving herself for marriage, and even though he – ahem – pleases her, she doesn’t return the favor. Will’s libido finds an outlet of sorts in hot, kinky fantasies about his neighbors, two good-looking lesbians, particularly the one who wears a belly dancing costume to work.
Renae Truesdale isn’t a lesbian, even though she and her roommate, who really is a lesbian, like to tease the sexy British doctor by letting him think they are. She wears the belly dancing costume because she works at a shop called Women Only, which seems dedicated to helping women discover their inner Love Goddess through things like classes in belly dancing and stripping. Renae’s been attracted to Will since she moved in upstairs from him, and when they finally come face to face one morning by the condo mailboxes, she gives in to temptation and flirts with him, resulting in a steamy kiss that kicks off their scorching affair.
This is the first Blaze I’ve read, and it lives up to its Hot billing. Both Renae and Will approach their affair like consenting adults. Right up front each makes clear just what they want from the other: hot sex and lots of it. Renae knows from mutual friends that Will is dating someone else, and she’s cool with it; after all, it’s just sex they’re sharing. Soon, though, she begins to care about him more than just sexually, and starts wishing she hadn’t emphasized the Sex Only part. For his part, Will realizes fairly quickly that he won’t be able to keep on with his girlfriend because he is much happier – and much more satisfied, if you know what I mean – with Renae.
Renae is a decent heroine, a free spirit in the good sense, but too much of her development is taken up by a roommate subplot that adds virtually nothing to the story, and a professional ambition that illuminates her character somewhat, but has absolutely nothing to do with Will and her relationship with him.
Will comes across as a bit too diffident at times. I don’t know if this is supposed to make him more ‘British’ a la Hugh Grant, but it makes him seem wimpy. He’s been in a relationship with another woman for several months, but because she won’t sleep with him, he feels excused for sleeping with Renae. The frustration is killing him, you know. Then, when his girlfriend returns to town, he’s thoroughly wimpy in the way he deals with her, and his solution to a difficult situation at work is almost defeatist. In contrast, when he’s with Renae, he’s generally more assertive and quite sexy.
That said, for all Will’s agonizing, there isn’t much development of the romance. They have great sex, and neither can get enough, but they never talk about anything not directly related to their sex life. Will has no idea where Renae works or what she does until the very end of the book. He doesn’t know anything about her mother. He doesn’t even know when she moves out of their condo building. Renae knows almost as little about him, and seems afraid to ask for fear of being clingy.
Wicked is a quick and easy read that will smoke in your hands at times, but its emotional punch is minimal. It’s far from bad, but just as far from great.
Grade: C
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 22/09/04
Publication Date: 2004/08
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.