A review by readwithev
Dirty Sexy Saint by Carly Phillips, Erika Wilde

lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

The typical steamy romance. Picked this up as part of a genre challenge to read something I don't usually. Some of the dialogue was cringy. In addition, the authors explain the characters motivations, thoughts, or emotions more often than showing (aka using the 5 senses). As a result, the writing feels immature and I found myself skipping ahead.
Samantha felt a bit flat for me. I think it would have been more interesting if she'd struggled more at the beginning to adjust to her independent life. That would have provided character growth opportunities for her and even moments for her and Katrina to bond.

The conflict (Wyatt's appearance and arrest) is solved quickly and without issue. I found that anti-climactic. Also, Samantha's dad pretty much accepts Clay after he confesses his love and returned the $50K. I thought that resolution was too fast as well. I expected more fighting between them. Moreover, the fact Samantha's dad knew where she was the whole time felt like a cop-out. It would have been more interesting if he had a private investigator looking for her over the course of the story. Or, she suspected someone was following her and she'd left Chicago for the suburbs or rural area of Illinois to be more "undercover." Overall I thought the conflicts in the story were too easily solved, even for a fluffy romance. The characters resolved their issues too fast to make me believe their love was really worth fighting for.

The steamy scenes were indeed steamy but the plot and conflicts were lacking. This series seems like a good brain candy romance but not full of any serious consequences or depth.