Series: Dare Me #2
Genre: Erotic/Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: February 23rd 2013
Publisher: Brazen/Entangled
Format: PDF Ebook provided by publisher
Rating: 5 Stars
Synopsis:
Cat Thomas has never been the kind of girl to stick. A self-professed infatuation junky, she latches on the newest, hottest guy on the block, then finds a reason—real or imagined—to dump him. When she accepts a dare to rekindle her high school flame and jump in bed with her brother’s best friend, Shane Decker, she knows she’s in trouble. She can’t resist the man, even after all these years apart, and that just won’t do.
Shane has come back to town for a couple reasons. The biggest one? He’s tired of living away from those he loves, including Cat. But now she’s spooked and will do anything to drive a wedge between them, including trying to fix him up with other women through an online dating service.
What does he have to do to make her see that settling down doesn’t mean settling, and he’s ready to spend a lifetime proving it?
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My Take:
Sometimes when I'm reading a book I can't help but connect with a supporting character even though I should be focusing on the Main Characters. This was the case with Cat Thomas. While reading Down for the count I found myself lost in thought about what Cat would be like if she got her own book. Thankfully she did and it was everything I wanted it to be!
Cat Thomas and Shane Decker have a history together that instantly had me hooked because I love sweetheart stories. Growing up Cat always felt like Shane was just her brother's friend who was supposed to look after her when her brother left for college. Shane always treated her like a child especially when she wanted to do crazy things like drink at a high school party and skinny dip. He was always the voice of reason when she got too out of control. One night almost changed everything between them but Shane having promised her brother he would watch out for her, kept himself under control enough to put a stop to Cat's advances. That memory never left her as she got older and along with seeing what she perceived as her mother's miserable marriage has shaped her into a woman afraid of committing for fear of losing herself in someone else. She runs from every relationship after finding some ridiculous flaw in every guy. She hasn't seen Shane since high school due to his career in search and rescue that took him away from their hometown. When he shows back up at her brothers fight in Atlantic City she realizes that pull toward him is still there after all these years. Feeling like she just needs to fuck him out of her system once and then she can move on, she jumps in bed with him and does what she wanted to do all those years ago. Little did she know that was only the beginning with Shane. Not wanting to admit how she feels for him she tries to push him into online dating and helps him create a profile and video. When the responses start coming in immediately she is a little jealous and Shane asks her to help filter the results and of course she finds fault in every woman because it isn't her.
He chooses someone on his own and ends up at a restaurant on his date when Cat shows up. He has already explained to his date the situation with Cat and she gladly helps him get to Cat by playing up their date. Shane's clever plan brings Cat right to his door...or bed, and they embark on a heated relationship. After fighting so hard Cat finally slowly gives in to Shane just a little but a new challenge arises when Shane is called in to help with a local rescue of a young girl and Cat tags along to help. Will Cat let her insecurities and relationship hangups keep her from taking her shot at love?
I absolutely loved Cat! She is a spunky little redhead with a zest for life I enjoyed reading about. She loved adventure and wasn't scared to bungee jump or sky dive, but she was terrified to fall in love, how crazy is that? Yeah she was a bit childish at times and impulsive but that is what makes her Cat and that's also why I loved her. She didn't hold back and tells it like it is. She was sexy and funny, and I adored the banter between her and Shane. I knew her story was going to be fun to read and I was right. From their hot as hell night in Atlantic City to their hit and miss encounter as kids Shane and Cat were my favorite couple and brought some serious heat. The connection and chemistry between these two was felt immediately from their moments together again.
Shane was amazing. I loved this nipple biting bastard! He was so patient with Cat while she worked out her issues and I fell in love with him ten fold during the rescue of the little girl that went missing. He put Cat's feelings ahead of his own and even though Cat used that against him he still held his ground on it. The main thing I loved about Shane besides his wicked bedroom skills was the fact that he wasn't a gruff alpha male. Don't get me wrong I loves me some Alphas as much as the next girl with moist panties but Shane was somewhere in between. Yes he took charge in the sack but he didn't push Cat like most Alphas do. He knew just how to get Cat to respond to him just by his sexy words and his torpedo tongue!
The Heat! Holy Shit, the heat in this book was well played! I love it when a book gets (pardon the pun) Down and Dirty! When it calls out a carnal response in you and makes you fell all tingly in your lady bits that's what wet dreams are made of. There were several times throughout the story where you have to take a break and grab some ice water. And By ice water I mean play with yourself. You know a book has some good hot scenes when your junk is frothing up like bubbles in chocolate milk or as my friend calls it "A serious case of egg whites".
Besides the heat though, there was a really sweet moment between Cat and her mother. Cat always felt like her mother gave up her music career to raise her family and thought her mother was miserable. When she finally confronts her she finds out that wasn't the case at all. It was a really nice addition to the story, that not only could the book be hot but it had depth also. I felt like that moment was necessary to be able to understand why Cat is the way she is. For anyone who read Down For The Count about Cat's brother Galen, it was amazing to see how different these siblings were in relationships.
Overall this book had a little of everything. A little romance, a little drama but a LOT of heat! If you are looking for a quick, light sexy read I recommend both Down for The Count and Down and Dirty!
“If you changed your mind about running,” he drawled, a challenging brow raised, “we can get right back into this bed. Or the shower. Or on that dresser, if you’re feeling up to it.”
PDF pg 52
“Let’s see, what about her? Sara Mitchell. She calls herself an artist. That probably means she doesn’t have a job. She’s also a vegan, which means you’d have to deal with her meat-shaming you.” PDF Pg. 114
“Can you come like this?” His warm breath washed over her, and she wanted to drag him closer until his lips were on her again. “I think you can. Come for me, Cat,” he murmured, and closed his mouth over the straining bud, sucking and licking, matching the
relentless rhythm of the sensual massage between her thighs.
PDF Pg. 121
“I’m so sick of you throwing that in my face. Do you have any idea how hard that was on me? I wanted you so badly, it was all I could think about. But I made a promise to your brother that I would watch out for you. I keep my promises. Always.” PDF Pg. 196
Tell us a little bit about your writing style and what inspires you?
Hmm, I tend to think of my style as light, fun and sexy. At least, that’s what I’m GOING for, lol. And I think people all around me are my biggest inspiration. We’re such a weird animal, with odd neurosis and anxieties and fears and habits. Once I see someone I think possesses a fun or interesting trait or quirk, it will invariably have a character written around it (who will then dictate their story).
Are there any similarities between your characters and people you know?
Oh! So, I guess I answered that in question #1! Yes. People I know, people I don’t know, people I see at a coffee shop, or at the grocery store. None of the characters are based on one person, but I definitely cobble them together from my own imagination and the people around me.
If you could re-Write any book out there, what book would it be and what would you change/remove?
Duma Key by Stephen King. It’s one of my favorite books of all time, but I would change the end because it STILL haunts me.
I enjoyed both Down for The Count and Down and Dirty, do you have any plans to continue with another book in this series, or is 2 all you intended?
Thanks so much, I’m glad you enjoyed them! There is at least one more book planned for the Dare Me series coming later this year. It’s Rafe and Courtney’s story.
Who are some of the authors that inspire you?
Ooh, let’s see, I love Stephen King, and also Joe Hill and Gillian Flynn, but as far as romance, I really enjoy reading books by Tessa Dare and Jill Shalvis. I also have mad love for a new author named Samanthe Beck. She just released a book from Entangled’s Brazen line that seriously had me dying laughing. Super fun, so I hope to read more from her.
If you could do anything else besides write books, what would you want to do and why?
Hmm, I love games and puzzles and mysteries and treasures. So I think I’d like to be some sort of treasure hunter who travels the world on a ship with maps made of leather and tries to figure out where the booty’s at.
Do you ever get book ideas from your fans? If so what is the strangest idea?
I can’t say that’s ever happened, no. I do get a lot of emails asking for certain secondary characters to get their own story, or things like, “What happened after the book ended? Did X and Y get married?” etc. Oh! I did have a fan who won a contest where I named a character in a book after her. It was just supposed to be a bit part, but I liked her and her name SO much, she’s getting her own book. She is none other than Courtney Delollis, who is a secondary character in Down and Dirty.
What are some of your favorite tv shows at the moment?
I lovvvveee TV. We watch a lot of shows as a family (there are 7 of us, and my kids range from ages 16-22 so we tend to watch the same things). Lots of geek stuff like Supernatural, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Face Off, Sherlock and then sitcoms like New Girl and Modern Family, and then also reality TV like Amazing Race, Chopped, Sweet Genius (and basically ANY food competition shows we can find).
If you had to pick a movie cast for both DFTC and DAD who would play your main characters?
For Galen and Lacey from Down for the Count, I think I would go with Tom Hardy and Kristin Bell. And then for Shane Decker and Cat Thomas in Down and Dirty, I’d say Chris Evans and Emma Stone.
Where would you like to see yourself in ten years speaking in terms of your career?
Well, I just signed on to write a YA series with Entangled publishing, which I’m SUPER excited about. It’s a very hush hush project that I am DYING to tell everyone about because it’s going to be SO MUCH FUN >.< so it’s killing me. That said, if in ten years, I’m still blessed enough to be writing full time and growing and changing as an author, that would be a dream come true.
Thank you for taking time to stop by our blog today!
Thank YOU for having me! It was a lot of fun!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Christine Bell is a romance author and also writes erotic romance as Chloe Cole. She and her handsome hubby currently reside in Pennsylvania with a four-pack of teenage boys. If she gets time off from her duties as maid, chef, chauffeur, or therapist, she can be found reading just about anything she can get her hands on, from Young Adult novels to books on poker theory. She doesn’t like root beer, clowns or bugs (except ladybugs, on account of their cute outfits), but lurrves chocolate, going to the movies, the New York Giants and playing Texas Hold ‘Em. Writing is her passion, but if she had to pick another occupation, she would be a pirate…or, like, a ninja maybe. She loves writing steamy romance stories, but also hopes to one day publish something her dad can read without wanting to dig his eyes out with a rusty spoon. Christine loves to hear from readers, so please contact her through her website, www.christine-bell.com
