Egging Her On
Too Much Sex, Not Enough Romance
I don’t know what I was expecting when I read the blurb on the review site where I often pick books to review, but this wasn’t quite it. The book seems far more crude than it needs to be. While I don’t consider myself a prude, I often wish that sensual romance books didn’t resort to profanity or crass terms. Often these days, it seems like romances are either clean or lewd, without much middle ground. At least on Goodreads and Bookbut, the book blurb clearly states at the top that it is “erotic romance.”
The heroine, Lindie, is a no-nonsense farmer, specializing in eggs though she does sell some produce as well. The peaceful life she has created for herself is upended when someone wants to buy her property for way more than its value. This turns out to be the many-times-great grandson of the original owner who would like to have it back in the family so that he can raise his orphaned nephews there. The blurb says they meet when she’s naked, but there’s definitely more to it than that.
They immediately decide to embark on a no-strings affair, complete with a detailed contract specifying contraception, STD checks, and no mention of relationship terms (among other things). Will this affair impact the proceedings with a property? Will either of them break the contract? Why is Lindie dead set against selling, even at a fantastic price? What is her big secret?
I found Lindie to be too rough, abrasive, and crude. She’s definitely not a shrinking violet. It’s hard for me to imagine a real woman acting with Blaine as she does the first two times they meet.
Perhaps I read it wrong, but the blurb seems to be more about their property dispute and Lindie’s secret. The book, however, seems more about their tawdry affair. I would liked to have seen more character development, and given the way the story actually went, more of a development of actual romantic interest between the two, not a just sexual one.
The cover of the book isn’t right. Lindie is stated to be 40 more than once, and Blaine himself is supposed to be nearing 40. Neither of the models on the cover appears to be close to those ages. I like it when a book has an older heroine, but this should be clear on the cover. Otherwise, it seems hypocritical, using youth to sell a story about a more mature romance.
The book had some of the common issues with grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but these in themselves did not distract from the book.
