'Good Girls Don't' Donovan Brothers Brewery #1 by Victoria Dahl

Received from NetGalley

From the BLURB:

With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he's the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.

Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumours to the man beneath.

Tessa Donovan’s week is going from bad to worse. First her younger brother ruins a business deal for her family’s brewery by sleeping with a client’s daughter. On the same day there’s a break-in at the brewery; computers are stolen and the police suspect a state-wide crime ring is behind the theft.

The only silver lining in the whole debacle is police officer Luke Asher – a handsome and captivating man who was college friends with Tessa’s younger brother, Jamie. But rumours abound about Luke – whisperings about his pregnant police partner and his messy divorce.

‘Good Girls Don’t’ is the first book in the new ‘Donovan Brothers Brewery’ contemporary romance series.

Victoria Dahl bleeped onto my radar last year with her sexy/sweet ‘Tumble Creek’ contemporary romance series. So I was really excited to receive an advanced copy of her new September-released book from NetGalley. Sadly, ‘Good Girls Don’t’ didn’t live up to my expectations.

The Donovan Brothers Brewery is the sticking-point of this new romance series. The brewery is run by siblings Tessa, Eric and Jamie. These three share a close bond, since their parents died when they were young, leaving Eric the family patriarch at the age of twenty-four. But now the siblings are in their adulthood and their relationship is somewhat strained. Eric continues to act more like a father than a brother, especially where Jamie is concerned. Jamie is nothing but a fun-loving Lothario in Eric’s eyes, and he can’t shake viewing his younger brother with vague disapproval and thinly-veiled disappointment. Jamie is given few responsibilities in the brewery, and when Tessa gets wind of his dalliance with an important client’s daughter, she nearly has an apoplexy. While Eric and Jamie have a strained relationship, Tessa takes it upon herself to be peace-keeper between them. Taking the burden of their bickering and concocting outlandish ways to smooth their temperaments and keep them out of each other’s hair.

I really liked the family-dynamic of this book. The Donovan family is akin to the town of Tumble Creek, in being a touchstone for the series and a nice basis for the characters. The sibling dynamic will prove to be a well-spring of drama, tension, fun and love in coming books, if ‘Good Girls’ is any indication. The siblings had a tragic childhood, which has bought them together to form an unbending (and sometimes unyielding) bond. But I found the two brothers more interesting than the sister in this first book. Eric is clearly a man who had to grow up too quickly – he had responsibility to his siblings and the family business, and as such has never had much time for fun and frivolity. Jamie, on the other hand, has always been disregarded by his two older siblings – and so deliberately lives up to their poor expectation of him, courting women and having fun, while deep down desperate to prove himself. These two brothers have such an interesting relationship, I can’t wait to read their stories and meet the women who ensnare their hearts.

I really liked the general brewery-basis of this series and will be reading the next two books. But as a series debut, ‘Good Girls Don’t’ didn’t impress me. I think it was a case of too many uninteresting and intersecting stories detracting from the main romance.

Dahl has so many back-stories and sub-plots going on, and none of them terribly interesting. There’s the story about the brewery break-in. A side-story about Luke’s police partner, Simone, and her pregnancy that has everyone whispering the baby is his. A story about Tessa negotiating deals with a slimy executive. Then there’s the rumour about Luke’s divorce that ended less than amicably. All of these plots are swirling around, but none of them hold much fascination. We get lots and lots of page-time dedicated to Luke and Simone’s police work on the brewery break-in; but these scenes merely reveal that police-procedural is not Dahl’s forte. Luke and Simone’s investigation drags into paperwork, running lab tests, reading computer files, making phone calls and occasionally chasing down small-time criminals for the hell of it. The really juicy stories about Luke’s questionable morals are the really interesting points – but there’s not much mystery about them since we get Luke’s interiority and his side of things.

I initially liked Luke and Tessa’s romance. He’s clearly in a very broken, dark place and she brings out the fun in him with her natural charisma and infectious personality. I chuckled at quite a few of their exchanges;

“So tell me why you look so beat up today. Big murder case?”

“You’re determined to turn me into a TV show, aren’t you?”

“Well, for a minute there, you were headed into Jerry Springer territory. I’m trying to steer you back toward CSI.”

But towards the end of the book I wasn’t finding Luke and Tessa’s romance terribly romantic. It’s partly because it spans a mere two weeks – not much time to be anything but a healthy flirtation and heated coupling. But also because there wasn’t much tension. Dahl started out by writing large obstacles for them in the form of Luke’s shady romantic past and possible love child. But like I said, because we get Luke’s (truthful) admissions about these accusations it detracts from their romantic tension and takes out all the ‘will they or won’t they?’ fun.

Victoria Dahl excels in writing community-driven, family-orientated contemporary romances. The touchstone of her new ‘Donovan Brothers Brewery’ is a family-run business where the sibling’s personalities clash and tensions are rife. I love the three character of Eric, Jamie and Tessa – their dynamic and strong bond is sure to offer up some very interesting stories in the two upcoming books. Dahl is also a master of romance – writing steamy couplings and mouth-watering sex scenes. Still, ‘Good Girls Don’t’ was a flat book for me. Too many uninteresting (and lengthy) subplots, coupled with a romance that was little more than a two-week fling left me unimpressed. Regardless, I will be looking out for ‘Bad Boys Do’ in October this year.

3/5

'One Week as Lovers' by Victoria DAHL

From the BLURB:

Some Pleasures, Once Tasted...

Even after finding his betrothed in the arms of another man, Nicholas, the Viscount Lancaster, knows he must wed. Propriety and the dire state of his finances decrees it. At least a visit to his country estate provides relief from playing the role of loving fiance, as well as a surprising encounter with Cynthia Merrithorpe. Once his childhood companion, Cynthia has grown into a lovely, alluring woman one who's undertaken a daring ruse to avoid being sold into a miserable marriage.

Are Too Delicious To Forget...

When Nicholas left for London to assume his new title, Cynthia was forced to put aside her girlish infatuation. Now he's returned, more wickedly attractive than ever. And this time, Cynthia is determined to experience the pleasure she's dreamed of for so long. But with a man like Nicholas, seduction is only the beginning of a sensual journey that will tempt them both to defy convention, and uncover the very heart of desire...

This was my first Victoria Dahl book.

I wasn’t overly impressed – I’ve read better historical romances, and authors like Lisa Kleypas and Julia Quinn remain among my favorite authors of the genre. ‘One Week as Lovers’ was just a little too hum-drum for me. The storyline is mediocre; so much is made of the fact that Nick and Cynthia grew up together, were childhood friends who drifted apart when Nick gained the title of ‘Viscount’. But I didn’t really feel the ‘connection’ between them – Dahl relied too heavily on Cynthia’s girlhood crush being the basis for her adult feelings.

The storyline is a bit all over the place as well. There were so many plot lines criss-crossing and starting/stopping; it was a little hard to get invested in any one. For one thing, Cynthia fakes her own death in the beginning to get out of a marriage contract. Nick discovers the ton woman he is engaged to has been cheating on him. Cynthia suspects that she has the map to buried pirate treasure – and when Nick comes to mourn Cynthia’s passing and he discovers she is in fact alive, they set out to locate the treasure trove.

And amidst all these storylines (enough for three separate books, at least) is something shady concerning Nick’s past, and a rumor that he tried to hang himself. This is actually the most intriguing storyline, and one that saves the book. When the truth about Nick is revealed it is an intense climax, heart-breaking and gut-wrenching.

I will say something for Dahl – she knows her way around a sex scene. Seriously good, smutty stuff.

He looked up for a moment as if startled, but she put her mouth on his and brought him back to her.

In the dark she could feel everything. In the dark it was just Nick and his taste and smell and touch. In the dark there was no fiancée and no scar around his neck and no ship to America.

I’ve read so many Victoria Dahl endorsements – first from Patti at ‘Book Addict’, and more recently from Mandi at ‘Smexy’. Having now had the pleasure of reading her ‘Tumble Creek’ series, I think Dahl’s strength lies in contemporary romance rather than historical.

2/5

'Start Me Up' by Victoria DAHL

From the BLURB:

Lori had always planned to get out of tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado, but when her late dad left her his beloved auto body shop, she'd stayed. Now, according to her crazy best friend, Molly, what Lori needs is some excitement, in the form of hot, no-strings-attached sex.and lots of it.

Quinn Jennings has buildings on the brain - not love and romance. A serious architect, he's delighted to discover that Lori is willing to skip dating protocols and head straight for the sheets. And aided by the steamy books on Lori's bedside table, he's busy indulging both of their wildest fantasies. But when life in Tumble Creek takes a dangerous turn for Lori, Quinn's protective instincts kick in.

Suddenly he cares. More than either of them ever expected…

I loved this book. I adore the ‘Tumble Creek’ series and I’m pretty sure I have a girl-crush on Victoria Dahl.

‘Start me up’ focuses on Lori Love, a character introduced as the heroine’s best friend in book #1 ‘Talk me down’. I really liked Lori, mostly because Dahl had me sympathizing with her from the get-go. Lori’s been dealt a bad lot in life – she was all set to escape Tumble Creek and take up an international college scholarship when her father was severely injured in a bar fight and she was forced to care for him. Then he died, and she inherited his mechanics garage and started working there to pay off all the hospital bills. Pretty soon 10 years had flown by and Lori found her life stagnating.

Even though it’s quite a sob story, I never pitied Lori. She’s a fiery, independent woman and not at all prone to ‘woe is me’ syndrome. I also really liked her interactions with Molly (heroine from ‘Talk me down’) – these two are kind of a laugh-riot and I want to be fictional best friends with them!

Dahl has written a fantastic hero for Lori’s feisty lady-mechanic in Quinn Jennings. Quinn is a bit of a beta hero. He’s definitely not like Alpha-male Ben from ‘Talk me down’ – instead Quinn is a little bit serious, nerdy and a self-professed ‘dork’. He gets plenty of female attention, but his work commitments translate to aloofness in relationships and he’s never been with one woman for very long. In his fling with Lori he explores another side of himself, taking on the role of dominant in Lori’s ‘tie me up, tie me down’ fantasies. It’s a nice switch-up – from seeing Quinn’s sweet dorkiness in social situations, to witnessing a bedroom transformation. As Quinn describes it at one point after a bedroom romp with Lori;

“I was a fucking sex ninja.”

One of the reasons I am enjoying Dahl’s contemporary romance series so much is the fantastic writing. She writes dialogue beautifully, as evidenced by the sharp rhetoric between Lori and Molly. But she also just writes vividly and beautifully, and some of her passages really grab me;

Lori was scared. She’d been scared for years, ever since her father’s injury. Little bits of her courage were scattered across the country. Some of it in Boston where she’d received the phone call. Some of it floating high in the sky in the trail of the plane that had flown her home. But most of it had fallen away in Grand Valley in the hospital where she’d spent weeks by her dad’s side.

Just as in ‘Talk me down’; ‘Start me up’ has a mystery plot running alongside the romance. Dahl once again does a masterful job of balancing out romance, smut and mystery so that while you’re invested in Lori and Quinn, you’re also keen to know the whodunit plot. She never lets the mystery overtake the romance, but keeps it interesting enough that you do care about the outcome.

And once again she writes impressive smut. In this book there is tame bondage play as Lori explores her sexuality – it is very tasteful smut, but hot nonetheless.

I love, love, love this series. Thanks again to Patti from ‘book addict’ for introducing me to Ms. Dahl.

5/5

'Talk me Down' by Victoria DAHL

From the BLURB:

Molly Jenkins has one naughty little secret: her job as a bestselling erotic fiction author. Until her inspiration runs dry - thanks to a creepy ex - and it's time to skip town and move back to tiny Tumble Creek, Colorado.

One look at former high school hunk chief of police Ben Lawson and Molly is back in business. The town gossip is buzzing at her door and, worse still, a stalker seems to be watching her every move. Thankfully, her very own lawman has taken to coming over, often. The only problem now is that Molly may have to let the cat out of the bag about her chosen profession, and straitlaced Ben will definitely not approve…

It’s official; I am obsessed with the ‘Tumble Creek’ series. I absolutely LOVED this first book and over the Australia Day-long weekend I gobbled up all three books.

For one thing I adored the characters. Dahl twists usual romance conventions by having the heroine, Molly, be the pursuer in the relationship. She’s no wallflower and is happy to flirt outrageously with Ben and let him know she is up for a round of ‘hide the salami’. Ben isn’t your typical romance hero either; he is an Alpha male and lawman to boot, but he’s also quite shy and initially reluctant to start something with Molly. I really appreciated the role reversals – Ben is a respectful gentleman, reserved and sensitive to Molly’s feelings. Molly isn’t a blushing virgin but rather a feisty woman who knows what she wants and goes after it, guns blazing. I especially loved this self-motivating line of Molly’s – I think I might make it my own personal mantra;

Yes, she was imperfect. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t also spectacular.

Ben and Molly absolutely sizzle on the page. Dahl is a master at writing tasteful smut, and she’s absolutely in her element in the contemporary romance genre where her character’s bed-play includes dirty talk and sex toys. Yowza!

But maybe the main reason I liked Ben and Molly so much was because they knew how to have fun. Their relationship definitely had a lightness to it that was an absolute joy to read, and some moments had me cackling like a hyena. This excerpt, for instance;

“I’d hardly call it seduction.”

“Wait. What the hell does that mean?”

“It means you were drunk and slightly incoherent, and I should have been the one to know better."

“Slightly incoherent? Wow, you paint a beautiful picture.” She’d been thinking pretty damn fondly of that night, but she was suddenly overwhelmed by a very different image. A scene in which she, sloppy drunk and cracking unfunny jokes, masturbated herself against an unwilling man’s lap.

Oh, holy hell, she’d totally used Ben Lawson as a sex toy.

The book isn’t all light, sexy romance though. There’s actually a pretty suspenseful second storyline concerning Molly’s psychotic ex and a suspected stalker. Sometimes such dramatic storylines in romance books just feel like clumsy filler that the author felt was needed to break up all the sex scenes. But in ‘Talk me down’ the storylines is actually quite a page-turner, one that will keep you guessing until the very end.

‘Talk me down’ is brilliant. Victoria Dahl perfectly balances contemporary romance, thriller and rom-com in one delightfully smutty package. I was thoroughly impressed and after reading the last page of ‘Talk me down’ I cracked open second book, ‘Start me up’. Yep, I am addicted – and I owe it all to Patti (aka: Book Addict) who first introduced me to the delightful works of Ms. Dahl. Thank-you!

5/5