Kink

I mentioned in a previous blog entry that I would be reviewing Kink. Well, here it is! Kink is a two-author anthology with novellas from Sasha White and Saskia Walker.

Watch Me
Some people have coffee. Some have tea. But the only thing that really wakes Bethany Mack up in the morning is sex. Too bad marriage to Grant has settled into a sex-starved routine. That is, until she spies a hot roofer next door. Broad, sexy shoulders: check. A muscular chest you could nuzzle all day: check. And under those jeans, well, the thought just makes her weak. So she puts on a little show for him through the window, letting her inhibitions loose, and discovers a naughty new addiction. But how will her husband react when he discovers just how far a desperate housewife will go for some lov'n from him?

Sex, Lies, and Bondage Tape
Clayton's one hunk of a musician. A pin-up hottie for squealing teens everywhere. And he's gay, Kelly Burton discovers when she sneaks into his dressing room for an autograph, but gets a peep show instead. . . . But Kelly's soon distracted: a bouncer has found her. A bouncer with pecs of steel, a six-pack, and sinewy arms. After a scolding, the bouncer decides to have his wicked way with the naughty-but-eager groupie. And what follows is a night of passion, hard-rock-style . . .

Kink is a great title for this book, because the stories are a little kinky. ;) Not too much, I'd say, but this is not a book for readers who want fade-to-black sex scenes. The love scenes in both novellas are lush, with no holds barred. The fact that these scenes are also emotionally compelling just makes it better.

In "Watch Me," readers needn't worry that Bethany has an affair with another man. She doesn't. She isn't a woman who wants to look elsewhere for excitement; she simply wants her relationship with Grant to be different. She gets exactly that, and the relationship plays out in intriguing ways.

There is an issue, though, and I like the way that White brings it up and makes it part of the story. It helped answer the niggling voice in my head that kept asking, "But what about . . .?" I wasn't sure the issue was completely resolved--I wish this section was expanded a little--but when I finished the story, I was confident Bethany and Grant had established a relationship that works for them.

Walker's story takes place in a short space of time but it feels like longer because of the connections she creates between Kelly and Tommy. I loved the scene where he confronted her about spying on Clayton--it was hot and interesting. Once I read it, I wasn't stopping until the end. :)

One scene went a little past my comfort threshold but it's to Walker's credit that she makes it work for the characters. I did wish that part of the conflict hadn't hinged on a misunderstanding, and Kelly does something that seems a little cold. The action is set up, however, in a way that makes it believable under the circumstances. And I loved the way Tommy resolved it.

My rating for Kink is 4 out of 5--a solid, enjoyable read.

Watch for the interview with Sasha soon!