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A review by jackiehorne
The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane
2.0
It feels strange to knock a book for being TOO realistic, but that's how I've been feeling after reading Dane's contemporary erotic romance. The novel is told largely through dialogue, with little narrative; it feels as if we're sitting in, listening to and occasionally watching real people's lives. There isn't much of a story or plot, though, to give those lives shape or form or meaning. In real life, we don't expect romances to unfold in a shapely way, but in a book, I prefer some sense of logical progression, some sense of change and/or movement as a novel unfolds. Hence, the too realistic problem.
Former wild girl now cautious librarian Natalie runs into mega-star rock-n-roller Paddy Hurley, a man with whom she had a scalding, if short-lived affair back in the day. Paddy wants to take up where they left off (not sure why, except that the sex was smoking), but Natalie is more than a little reluctant, fearing the wild ways of the typical rock star. But Paddy woos her with some charm, some wine, and some pleasure-boat cruising, and the two begin dating. One relationship blow-up happens when Paddy gets drunk during a wine-tasting (Natalie's perpetually reforming but always falling off the wagon alcoholic father has been and continues to be the emotional bane of her existence); another when Paddy thinks Natalie is turning to his brother instead of him when tabloid trouble hits. But they manage to eventually talk through their troubles, accept each other's "baggage," recognize each other's "triggers," and take responsibility for their own shit (a phrase that is repeated so often that it feels like we're in therapy, rather than in a romance novel).
No real character arcs here (Natalie was in therapy before the book started, and worked out all her issues, while Paddy doesn't really seem to have any issues), or plot arc. Just a romance arc, and a fairly weak one at that. But yes, the sex scenes are steamy...
Former wild girl now cautious librarian Natalie runs into mega-star rock-n-roller Paddy Hurley, a man with whom she had a scalding, if short-lived affair back in the day. Paddy wants to take up where they left off (not sure why, except that the sex was smoking), but Natalie is more than a little reluctant, fearing the wild ways of the typical rock star. But Paddy woos her with some charm, some wine, and some pleasure-boat cruising, and the two begin dating. One relationship blow-up happens when Paddy gets drunk during a wine-tasting (Natalie's perpetually reforming but always falling off the wagon alcoholic father has been and continues to be the emotional bane of her existence); another when Paddy thinks Natalie is turning to his brother instead of him when tabloid trouble hits. But they manage to eventually talk through their troubles, accept each other's "baggage," recognize each other's "triggers," and take responsibility for their own shit (a phrase that is repeated so often that it feels like we're in therapy, rather than in a romance novel).
No real character arcs here (Natalie was in therapy before the book started, and worked out all her issues, while Paddy doesn't really seem to have any issues), or plot arc. Just a romance arc, and a fairly weak one at that. But yes, the sex scenes are steamy...