Today I'm bringing you a short yet steamy read that all us less than perfect women will enjoy! Curve My Appetite by Melissa Kendall is another installment in Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series and you can learn more about through my review below and visiting the other blogs hosting this tour. Make sure to fill out the form below for your chance to win an Amazon GC!
Dean Martorino lives in the public eye. Surrounded on a daily basis by society’s idea of stunning beauty, he longs for a woman with curves he can get lost in. At the suggestion of his long-time friend and manager, Dean shares his secret with Madame Eve hoping she can find him a match to fill his arms and satisfy his desires.
Can Sally accept the beauty Dean sees in her long enough to curve his appetite or will they both go home hungry?
EXCERPT:
For the umpteenth time, Dean checked his phone. Still no text. He sighed in frustration. Thirty minutes after they’d agreed to meet, and no sign of his date.
His misgivings about the 1Night Stand concept weren’t eased by the fact she hadn’t arrived yet. He longed for something different, but one-night stands were not his usual idea of fun. He preferred long-term relationships. Jerry, his best friend had assured him Madame Eve’s services were more love matches than sex.
He’d laughed, at first, finding the whole idea ridiculous. He doubted even the mystical Madame Eve could find his perfect woman. Jerry had laughed, too, but then he got serious and asked, “What do you have to lose?”
Dean’s regular fitness regime kept him in shape and looking good for thirty-five. The women he met were stick-thin, self-obsessed, and semi-plastic, typical of the industry he worked in. Most of them were pretty, and though he’d dated a few, they weren’t what he fantasized about. No, in his dreams, the ladiesall had natural and much curvier figures.
Big, curvy women had always fascinated him. Because he lived his life in the public eye, he’d been reluctant to go after what he wanted. At his age, though, with his career on the downhill slide, he realized he didn’t care anymore. He’d had his time in the spotlight. He wanted to settle down and have a family. Hence, he’d decided to find someone who loved him, not his public persona. He’d spent too long denying his true identity.
A knock made his heart skip a beat. She’s here. After a quick check in the mirror, he steeled himself and opened the door.
His mouth went dry and all coherent thought fled. Even if he had the words to express how she blew him away, he didn’t think he could find his voice. He ogled the gorgeous, buxom brunette standing in the doorway. His admiration cut short, as her face paled.
“You’re—” She stopped talking mid-sentence, her eyes rolled back into her skull.
Reacting on instinct, he reached out and wrapped his hands around her waist, trying to catch her before she hit the ground. However, instead of stopping her from falling, he was pulled to the carpet, too, both of them crashing in a heap.
Women fainted around him all the time. It no longer freaked him out. It was, however, the first time he’d fallen to the floor with one. Her pulse thumped strongly under his fingers. Relief washed over him; she was okay. The ridiculousness of it all hit him and a deep belly laugh escaped his lips.
Even with the less than successful start to his date, the feel of her in his arms had parts of him standing to attention. His curiosity dictated he find out more. Madame Eve had made an excellent choice. She might have found the perfect woman after all.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series of books are a short yet satisfying way to spend an hour or two. There's no big plot or character developments with these stories, just enjoyment and a brief escape from life's stress. They promise steaminess and a HEA and Curve My Appetite lives up to that promise as a decadent treat.
Sally is a woman with curves who's always been made to feel ashamed of her size through the few relationships she's had in the past. Those men toyed with her and emotionally hurt her which is why she's been on her own for years. With her birthday fast approaching she decides to give herself an unexpected gift courtesy of Madame Eve when she asks for a caring and sexy man who looks like her favorite TV star. For one night she wants her long-time fantasy fulfilled. In true Madame Eve fashion Sally gets all that and more if only she's brave enough to take hold and make the fantasy a reality. I felt sympathetic towards Sally at times for the cruelty she endured, but was also frustrated by her at times. She was so insecure and naive which didn't seem realistic given her age. Even without hands-on experience she should understand the mechanics of sex, so her shock at certain things felt odd. She also needed to stand up for herself more. Instead of crawling into bed for a week after her first "boyfriend" used her she should've given him a verbal beat-down. Running seems to be her favorite way of handling things though which made her a heroine that wasn't one of my favorites.
Dean on the other hand was a favorite of mine. As he's gotten older he's come to appreciate women of substance, someone with smarts and honesty. He's tired of the facade the model-like women he's surrounded by present along with being in the spotlight. He wants a real life with a real woman and believes that Sally will fit the bill. He wants to take all the pain away that the men of her past have caused her and finds it sexy to be her mentor when it comes to sex. He's the perfect man as he accepts and adores everything about her and isn't afraid to tell her so. He seemed way more into their relationship from the start than she did though and so it was fitting that he was the one to track her down after her escape.
This story had many aspects that were by the book and seen before, but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a fun read. I enjoyed the flirtiness of Dean and how desirable he made Sally feel after so many years of her feeling like a failure. Their scenes together were hot and the ending brought a smile to my face as it was truly romantic. This story is meant to savor and enjoy as Ms. Kendall kept the story flowing at a nice pace. It's pure escapism, as are the other 1Night Stand stories, and I look forward to this kind of mini-vacation again soon.
My rating for this book is a C+
*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
BUY LIKS: Amazon | ARe | BN | Decadent Publishing
AUTHOR INFO:
Melissa is a 37 year-old stay at home mum and part-time Software Support Consultant. She lives in Perth Western Australia the most isolated capital city in the world.
She’s always loved to read and write and spent most of her teens scribbling poetry and short stories on any scrap of paper she could get her hands on. Over the years as daily life pressures got in the way she lost the passion for it. After her son was born, she discovered online books and her interest in writing was rekindled. It has been a large part of her life ever since.
She writes a little bit of everything but contemporary erotic romance is her favourite genre. Check out the links below for details on her other works.
**********GIVEAWAY**********
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Love the excerpt. I am looking forward to reading this sexy book. Thanks for the post and Giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting and reviewing my book
ReplyDelete