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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
Smart, funny, sassy heroine who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. Grumpy, pierced, tattooed self-described grease monkey who thinks she’s too young for him.
I enjoyed every minute of this.
I enjoyed every minute of this.
Good solid read. Plenty of sexy times. Lots of family drama. I’ll definitely continue with the series.
I really wanted to like this more, because this couple is gold. They're good at Using Their Words, mutually respectful and supportive, and pretty sexy. Unfortunately there was very little dramatic tension. When they argued it usually involved Asa pulling his head out of his ass after PJ called him on it. Which is great for a real life relationship, but maybe not as the primary driver behind the plot of a book.
Otherwise it was just PJ's dad being an asshole and a confrontation she essentially just had to show up to.
I kept waiting for more to happen: Asa's deadbeat dad to show up, a crash at the racetrack. Something. But no.
Not sure if I'll read the other books in the series.
Otherwise it was just PJ's dad being an asshole and a confrontation she essentially just had to show up to.
I kept waiting for more to happen: Asa's deadbeat dad to show up, a crash at the racetrack. Something. But no.
Not sure if I'll read the other books in the series.
I really liked the cocky, coolness of the heroine and how she was succeeding in a traditionally man's world. She stood up for herself, dealt with sexual harassment, and kicked ass with good humor and honesty.
That said, the book overall felt a little glib. Like it slid over some of the story on greased wheels instead of digging in and reveling in it. I'm not against sex, but much of the sex was written too much as entertainment and extraneous detail instead of being at the service of the story or character growth. The story and characters were worth more than that. We get told a lot - especially about the male lead's life and hobbies, and about various stuff related to her business - instead of being shown it. Often these things are told in a rushed, almost outline fashion...to get them on paper, not to really properly tell them.
So, to some degree a wasted opportunity. You could see how good this book could be if the author wasn't trying to finish quickly and needing to toss in so many sex scenes because her readers expect it. I have the feeling commerce got in the way of art. Which is life, and you can't blame a writer too much for it in the end.
That said, the book overall felt a little glib. Like it slid over some of the story on greased wheels instead of digging in and reveling in it. I'm not against sex, but much of the sex was written too much as entertainment and extraneous detail instead of being at the service of the story or character growth. The story and characters were worth more than that. We get told a lot - especially about the male lead's life and hobbies, and about various stuff related to her business - instead of being shown it. Often these things are told in a rushed, almost outline fashion...to get them on paper, not to really properly tell them.
So, to some degree a wasted opportunity. You could see how good this book could be if the author wasn't trying to finish quickly and needing to toss in so many sex scenes because her readers expect it. I have the feeling commerce got in the way of art. Which is life, and you can't blame a writer too much for it in the end.
There is a lot to like in this book (tattooed & pierced body shop artists! realistic dialogue! family company drama! accurate Seattle geography!), but the rambling pace and disconnected chapters are distracting. Fun, but ultimately just an okay read.
Description
The men of Twisted Steel are great with their hands.
And they're not afraid to get dirty.
Asa Barrons is never lonely for long. Co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle shop, he works hard and plays harder. But he never allows his after-hours affairs to interfere with business-until he meets racing royalty PJ Colman. While the blue-eyed blonde is all princess on the outside, on the inside Asa can see that this woman is ready to take a walk on the wild side.
PJ knows trouble when she sees it, and Asa is the complete package: fast bike, killer ink, and a sinfully sexy smile that has her imagining things nice girls never do. She talks her way onto the Twisted Steel team to prove her painting skill, and soon learns that Asa is eager to show off some skills of his own.
With the help of Asa's expert touch, PJ is initiated into a world of wicked desire. No limits. No inhibitions. No turning back. But as perfect as their passion seems, a new challenge awaits, forcing them to ask just how far they are willing to go . . .
Damn, Lauren Dane writes good books!
Opening Up is another great read that includes Dane's brand of crusty outside, gooey centred male characters and tenacious, but vulnerable female characters. Asa and PJ are fantastic, multidimensional and genuine. They seem like real people, with real people problems, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed it.
Dane's characters face a multitude of issues. Some issues are as deep as rejection, slut shaming and fear of failure to the more mundane, like the inability to keep from putting one's foot in one's mouth or a penchant for mansplaining. Whatever the issue, it's handled deftly without feeling like the author is beating the reader over the head with rhetoric or morality tales.
The sex in Opening Up is, of course, off the charts. Dane is great at making the sex main characters are having part of the story instead of a titillating intermission from the plot. What goes on in the bedroom (or wherever) of Dane's characters is just as important to plot amd character development as any other event. One thing I particularly liked about the sex scenes in Opening Up is a moment in which PJ asserts herself when Asa tries to move to an area she's not comfortable with. I have very rarely read books wherein a female character put the kibosh on a particular act. Usually, in the throes of passion, anything goes, but Dane writes strong female characters and PJ stays true to herself, with humour and without spoiling the mood. I thought it was brilliant and just another way in which Dane makes her characters genuine and easy for readers to both relate and aspire to.
I don't have a single negative thing to say about Opening Up. It was a well written, perfectly paced story with fantastic, relatable characters. I read this book in one sitting and look forward to reading more from this series and Lauren Dane.
ARC received via NetGalley
The men of Twisted Steel are great with their hands.
And they're not afraid to get dirty.
Asa Barrons is never lonely for long. Co-owner of the Twisted Steel custom motorcycle shop, he works hard and plays harder. But he never allows his after-hours affairs to interfere with business-until he meets racing royalty PJ Colman. While the blue-eyed blonde is all princess on the outside, on the inside Asa can see that this woman is ready to take a walk on the wild side.
PJ knows trouble when she sees it, and Asa is the complete package: fast bike, killer ink, and a sinfully sexy smile that has her imagining things nice girls never do. She talks her way onto the Twisted Steel team to prove her painting skill, and soon learns that Asa is eager to show off some skills of his own.
With the help of Asa's expert touch, PJ is initiated into a world of wicked desire. No limits. No inhibitions. No turning back. But as perfect as their passion seems, a new challenge awaits, forcing them to ask just how far they are willing to go . . .
Damn, Lauren Dane writes good books!
Opening Up is another great read that includes Dane's brand of crusty outside, gooey centred male characters and tenacious, but vulnerable female characters. Asa and PJ are fantastic, multidimensional and genuine. They seem like real people, with real people problems, which is one of the main reasons I enjoyed it.
Dane's characters face a multitude of issues. Some issues are as deep as rejection, slut shaming and fear of failure to the more mundane, like the inability to keep from putting one's foot in one's mouth or a penchant for mansplaining. Whatever the issue, it's handled deftly without feeling like the author is beating the reader over the head with rhetoric or morality tales.
The sex in Opening Up is, of course, off the charts. Dane is great at making the sex main characters are having part of the story instead of a titillating intermission from the plot. What goes on in the bedroom (or wherever) of Dane's characters is just as important to plot amd character development as any other event. One thing I particularly liked about the sex scenes in Opening Up is a moment in which PJ asserts herself when Asa tries to move to an area she's not comfortable with. I have very rarely read books wherein a female character put the kibosh on a particular act. Usually, in the throes of passion, anything goes, but Dane writes strong female characters and PJ stays true to herself, with humour and without spoiling the mood. I thought it was brilliant and just another way in which Dane makes her characters genuine and easy for readers to both relate and aspire to.
I don't have a single negative thing to say about Opening Up. It was a well written, perfectly paced story with fantastic, relatable characters. I read this book in one sitting and look forward to reading more from this series and Lauren Dane.
ARC received via NetGalley
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Sweet, funny, and sexy. This just hit all the boxes for a fantastic read. I'm so glad that I listened to the ladies at Under The Covers and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. They both led me to this great book. I love my bloggers that are on my wavelength.