The theme of friends to lovers is a favorite of mine when it comes to romances and in Dirty Sexy Inked by Carly Phillips and Erika Wilde, the second installment in the Dirty Sexy series, the relationship between two long-term friends takes a sexy turn during a weekend in Las Vegas. Keep reading to get a tantalizing taste of their steamy journey of discovery, along with my impressions of it, and then add it to your bookshelf!
Breaking hearts is what wild and rebellious Mason Kincaid does best. Hit it and quit it is his motto, and with his bad boy reputation and tattoos, he doesn't lack for female companionship. Until one hot night with the one woman he swore he'd never touch becomes an all-consuming addiction he can't kick. Katrina Sands has been his best friend for years, but now that he knows what she feels like, and tastes like, there is no going back to being just friends. Hot, dirty sex has never felt so good...or so right.
EXCERPT:
"We’re off to Las Vegas, Kitty-Kat,” Mason Kincaid said as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “Sin City is the perfect place to get down and dirty and have some fun. What kind of trouble do you think we can get into while we’re there?"
Katrina Sands buckled her seat belt and settled more comfortably in the first-class leather seat next to Mason—her best friend since they were fourteen and freshmen in high school. She wasn’t at all surprised that he was already making a mental list of all the wild and reckless adventures that awaited him in a no-holds-barred place like Las Vegas. Mason Kincaid was a rule breaker, a thrill seeker, and a self-indulgent bad boy who was all about pleasure and instant gratification. From everything she’d heard about the city that never slept, he’d be right in his element.
Oh, joy, she thought with a resigned sigh. It wasn’t as though she was a prude. Far from it. She just wasn’t thrilled about watching her best friend’s man-whoring ways in action in Vegas. She spent enough time seeing it up close and personal on a day-to-day basis.
She turned her head and met Mason’s bright blue gaze. “You do realize that this trip isn’t all about you and your dick, right? That we’re heading to Vegas because your brother Clay is marrying Samantha?” she asked, reminding him of that one important detail.
The corners of his mouth curved with an indulgent grin. “Of course I realize my brother is strapping on the old ball and chain tomorrow afternoon. But that doesn’t mean the entire weekend is going to be all wedding, all the time. In fact, tonight Levi and I plan to take Clay out to make sure he spends his last evening as a bachelor in style."
Which gave Mason the perfect opportunity to carouse for a willing female to take back to his hotel room for the night. It’s what Mason did. For as long as she’d known him, he’d had a hit-it-and-quit-it motto when it came to women, and he always made sure they knew the score up front. He didn’t make promises or do commitment or anything longer than a one-time fling.
And each time Katrina watched it happen, a little bit of hope died inside of her. The hope that one day Mason would see her as more than just a best friend and the woman who managed to keep his personal and professional shit together. But the man was oblivious to her deeper feelings for him, and she wasn’t willing to tell him and risk certain painful rejection. It was much easier, and safer, keeping them both squarely in the friend zone.
She’d known him for twelve years, and had truly come to believe that Mason Kincaid didn’t have the ability to commit to any single woman. And it really wasn’t hard for her to figure out why considering the kind of childhood he’d had—no father figure to speak of and a mother who cared more about her next fix than her own kids. Mason might be a master at giving off a carefree, I-don’t-give-a-crap attitude, but Katrina was one of the few people who knew just how much pain and resentment that laid-back demeanor really masked.
The commercial plane they were taking to Las Vegas finished the boarding process, and one of the cabin crew started closing the overhead luggage bins, while another made an announcement to set all electronic devices to airplane mode. A pretty brunette flight attendant stopped next to Mason’s aisle seat and set her hand on his shoulder.
He glanced up at her, and the woman smiled, her complexion flushing a bit as he turned all that potent male sex appeal her way. Yeah, Mason had that kind of breathtaking effect on women. Between his gorgeous features, that sexy, panty-dropping smile, and his sleeves of bad boy tattoos that wrapped around both muscled arms, he was an irresistible force to the female gender.
And the jerk knew it, too, and didn’t hesitate to use that charm to his advantage.
FIND AT GOODREADS here.
MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:
As a reader who loves steamy reads balanced with sweet and sentimental moments, I found this tale of longtime friends becoming more an immensely satisfying story. From its appealing characters to its perfect flow that kept me fully immersed in the HEA of two bruised souls, this story charmed me while turning up the heat. As the second installment in the Dirty Sexy series readers are reunited with past favorites while discovering new ones while watching fate push Mason and Katrina's friendship into something more in this tale that stands strongly on its own and is not to be missed.
Growing up, Mason was a delinquent bent on destroying his future through poor choices. Left in the care of his older brother because of a drug-addicted mother and criminal father he tried to push everyone away before they left him behind. He still acts this way as an adult though flitting from one meaningless sexual encounter to another. Despite his bad behavior he's always had a small but close-knit group who stood beside him through his anger and he's come to count on them and never wants to jeopardize what he has with them. The one person he's especially fearful of hurting is his high school friend Katrina, who has her own demons to slay. Ever since saving her from bullies in the park he's felt protective of her. Besides his brothers she's the only person he can open up to, the only person to see beyond his anger, and accept him wholeheartedly. Because of that he's afraid to give into the ever-increasing naughty thoughts he's been having about her. When fate intervenes during a weekend in Vegas, Mason knows he can no longer ignore the complex feelings Katrina inspires in him and puts their friendship in jeopardy to claim her. It's not an easy journey though as her past and self-doubts arise to test their burgeoning relationship. Mason is a self-confessed player at the start of the story who's not interested in committment. The only woman to last beyond one night is his friend Katrina and it scares him when he starts seeing her in a sexual light. His confusion over his feelings is endearing and humorous as his jealous side emerges. He and Katrina are great as friends with witty banter, but as lovers their connection crackles. He's the King of dirty talk and enjoys a bit of naughty play in the bedroom too to make for even more erotic encounters. He's a bad boy who can be oh so good and I enjoyed watching him redefine his feelings for Katrina once he fully accepted them.
Katrina had a rough time growing up too. She was an early bloomer and it brought out the worst in the men in her world. Their words and deeds took her to a very dark place that's left her with scars to this day. The only man to stick up for her was Mason, who became her protector and who gave her some of her happiest moments growing up. Her feelings for him have only gotten stronger as he's seen her at her worst and still supported her unconditionally. It's grown harder seeing him with every other woman but her and a weekend in Vegas gives her the push to finally move on. The unexpected results of a drunken dance though has what happened in Vegas happening when they return home as she and Mason decide to take their friendship to another level. Though she's happy Katrina fears what will happen when the past comes back to hurt her once again. Will she be on her own or will Mason be there to protect her this time around? Katrina's a strong-willed woman who's been hurt deeply in the past, blaming herself and falling far before finding herself again. She was made to feel dirty for embracing her sexuality which had her hiding from that side of herself. Being with Mason though is freeing as he enjoys naughty play and he encourages it in her as well. For too long she put her wants aside but once she finally admitted what she wanted fate steered her towards her HEA.
This was a quick read with a flow that quickly pulls you in. Mason and Katrina are immensely likable with strong personalities that jump off the page. The sexual tension is strong at the start of the story but soon rages out of control as friends grow closer to being lovers. The sexual interludes are combustible but there's still a sense of friendly playfulness that reminds you that their friendship is still strong. There's thankfully no angst to interfere with their burgeoning relationship as neither let fear hold them back once they committed, which made for an even more satisfying read. The only quibble I had involves a friend from Mason's past coming back from out of the blue to strike fear in Katrina's heart and doing this felt melodramatic and a bit manipulative. Despite that this was a story that charmed me. I loved Mason's sexy bad boy brought low by the realization of his love for Katrina and in her I found an admirable heroine easy to relate to. This was a great addition to the Dirty Sexy series and I look forward to Levi, long thought of as the good brother, unleash his naughty side.
Growing up, Mason was a delinquent bent on destroying his future through poor choices. Left in the care of his older brother because of a drug-addicted mother and criminal father he tried to push everyone away before they left him behind. He still acts this way as an adult though flitting from one meaningless sexual encounter to another. Despite his bad behavior he's always had a small but close-knit group who stood beside him through his anger and he's come to count on them and never wants to jeopardize what he has with them. The one person he's especially fearful of hurting is his high school friend Katrina, who has her own demons to slay. Ever since saving her from bullies in the park he's felt protective of her. Besides his brothers she's the only person he can open up to, the only person to see beyond his anger, and accept him wholeheartedly. Because of that he's afraid to give into the ever-increasing naughty thoughts he's been having about her. When fate intervenes during a weekend in Vegas, Mason knows he can no longer ignore the complex feelings Katrina inspires in him and puts their friendship in jeopardy to claim her. It's not an easy journey though as her past and self-doubts arise to test their burgeoning relationship. Mason is a self-confessed player at the start of the story who's not interested in committment. The only woman to last beyond one night is his friend Katrina and it scares him when he starts seeing her in a sexual light. His confusion over his feelings is endearing and humorous as his jealous side emerges. He and Katrina are great as friends with witty banter, but as lovers their connection crackles. He's the King of dirty talk and enjoys a bit of naughty play in the bedroom too to make for even more erotic encounters. He's a bad boy who can be oh so good and I enjoyed watching him redefine his feelings for Katrina once he fully accepted them.
Katrina had a rough time growing up too. She was an early bloomer and it brought out the worst in the men in her world. Their words and deeds took her to a very dark place that's left her with scars to this day. The only man to stick up for her was Mason, who became her protector and who gave her some of her happiest moments growing up. Her feelings for him have only gotten stronger as he's seen her at her worst and still supported her unconditionally. It's grown harder seeing him with every other woman but her and a weekend in Vegas gives her the push to finally move on. The unexpected results of a drunken dance though has what happened in Vegas happening when they return home as she and Mason decide to take their friendship to another level. Though she's happy Katrina fears what will happen when the past comes back to hurt her once again. Will she be on her own or will Mason be there to protect her this time around? Katrina's a strong-willed woman who's been hurt deeply in the past, blaming herself and falling far before finding herself again. She was made to feel dirty for embracing her sexuality which had her hiding from that side of herself. Being with Mason though is freeing as he enjoys naughty play and he encourages it in her as well. For too long she put her wants aside but once she finally admitted what she wanted fate steered her towards her HEA.
This was a quick read with a flow that quickly pulls you in. Mason and Katrina are immensely likable with strong personalities that jump off the page. The sexual tension is strong at the start of the story but soon rages out of control as friends grow closer to being lovers. The sexual interludes are combustible but there's still a sense of friendly playfulness that reminds you that their friendship is still strong. There's thankfully no angst to interfere with their burgeoning relationship as neither let fear hold them back once they committed, which made for an even more satisfying read. The only quibble I had involves a friend from Mason's past coming back from out of the blue to strike fear in Katrina's heart and doing this felt melodramatic and a bit manipulative. Despite that this was a story that charmed me. I loved Mason's sexy bad boy brought low by the realization of his love for Katrina and in her I found an admirable heroine easy to relate to. This was a great addition to the Dirty Sexy series and I look forward to Levi, long thought of as the good brother, unleash his naughty side.
My rating for this is an A-
*I got this book from the authors for review in exchange for my honest opinion.
AUTHOR INFO:
Carly Phillips is the N.Y. Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of over 50 sexy contemporary romance novels featuring hot men, strong women and the emotionally compelling stories her readers have come to expect and love. Carly is happily married to her college sweetheart, the mother of two nearly adult daughters and three crazy dogs (two wheaten terriers and one mutant Havanese) who star on her Facebook Fan Page and website. Carly loves social media and is always around to interact with her readers...
Erika Wilde is the author of the sexy Marriage Diaries series and The Players Club series. She lives in Oregon with her husband and two daughters, and when she's not writing you can find her exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
WEBSITE | GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
WEBSITE | GOODREADS AUTHOR PAGE | AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
No comments:
Post a Comment