Christina Crooks

This past week, I read L.A. Caveman from author Christina Crooks. Ms. Crooks has four romance novels to her credit, of which, L.A. Caveman is the third, and the fourth is due out soon. L.A. Caveman could’ve been my kind of book, as it spins a tale of romance and suspense in the modern corporate world, wherein the hero and heroine are continuously at odds over business decisions for the magazine that he owns and she writes a column for. Throw in a sleazy, conniving former editor who intends payback for having been relieved of duty, and you have all the ingredients for a saucy, sexy story that should tickle the brain and tug at the heartstrings. Unfortunately, for me, it didn’t turn out that way.

The novel begins by pitting two strong-willed characters against each other in an emotionally charged situation. Jake Tremere has recently traded his nest egg for the floundering Men’s Weekly magazine, believing that he can breathe life into it by steering it in a more macho direction. One of his first acts toward that end is to fire Stanna Whitland, a spunky writer who presents the feminine point of view in her regular weekly column. When Jake discovers that he can’t fire Stanna, because she has a three-year contract, the sparks begin to fly.

Within the first few pages, I was captivated by the author’s elegant writing style, which makes use of crisp, natural language, rich vocabulary, and varied constructs. Between the writing and the strong premise, I expected to really be taken in by this romantic tale, however, the book’s path from there on was not the one I would have chosen.

While the plot had the potential for a number of interesting interactions among the major characters, I felt the best scenes were almost always “off-screen”, referred to in passing or summarized after-the-fact, while all the scenes presented to the reader were the ones where Jake and Stanna were either at each other’s throats or rolling around in the hay; I never saw the positive interactions and bond-building scenes that would make me believe these two people had any real feelings for each other, other than animosity and lust. Even at the climax of the story, I felt as though I had missed something–where was the resolution to the enormous issue which had separated the two? They never spoke one word to each other about what had come between them before skipping to the HEA.

I would recommend L.A. Caveman to any reader who appreciates a rich writing style and has a taste for pure romance and steamy sex scenes. If you can look past the egregiously inappropriate nature of this owner-employee relationship, you will lose yourself in the crazy ups and downs of their love affair. If, like me, you prefer your romance couched in action, adventure, and mystery, and like to see the romance grow more naturally, this book will leave you wanting.… (mehr)

Sweet and Dirty by Christina Crooks
Erotic Contemporary Romance -Dec 29, 2009
4 stars

Christina Crooks has written a racy and adventurous anthology that is not for the faint of heart. It is a well written book which does include some BDSM that can be a little wicked! These are certainly not the typical romances and the heroines both explore their sexuality in a way that is freeing and exciting!

In the first story, Michelle has moved to the city. She is dissatisfied with her old life and the expectations of her family and ex-fiancée. But she gets far more than she expects when she meets Ro. Ro has opened a new S&M nightclub and when he sees Michelle he knows she would be his perfect submissive. If only she had the courage to let herself go!

In the 2nd story, Nora is a high powered woman. But she has secret desires. When her fiancée surprises her and takes her to a special B&B which caters to S&M she gets far more than she bargained for!

This book was a fast, fun and titillating read. Each woman is introduced to her darker, more sensuous side. They become uninhibited and fearless. It was great to read each of the heroines break loose and it didn’t hurt that the sex scenes were super hot! Some sections were a little too shocking for this reader but if you love erotic romances with a female submissive this is one sure to keep you enthralled.


Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club… (mehr)