by Melissa Blue
is an ADULT title
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Callan Baird used to laugh more than he frowned, but that was
before his wife died. Now his life is duty, debts and a general apathy for
anything else. And then Victoria Burke burst into his life. She's everything he
wants to corrupt.
Victoria has two choices: agree to a grouchy, sexy
Scotsman's extortion or call her boss to explain why she can't do her job.
Since she's spent the last three years rebuilding her career as antique
appraiser, and this one commission could make or break it, the decision is a
no-brainer. Except everything about Callan is complicated.
He sees no problem turning their work relationship
into a sexual one. She refuses to break her boss' no-fraternization rule. He's
the one thing she wants and the one thing she can't have. He's had his one
great love, and doesn't want a replacement. His heart doesn't agree, because
she's everything he desires.
Callan will have to let go of his past if he wants
Victoria to be in his future.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT
The door
swung open. A shirtless man glowered at her, but that description couldn't
quite encapsulate him. Her smile faltered while she lost a few IQ points at the
full brunt of him. Shadows deepened the grooves around his mouth and eyes. Wind
creeping in through the open door whipped his dark auburn hair into disarray.
He was broad in the shoulders, solid in the torso and thighs. Every sinew in
his tall frame inspired an itch in her palms to touch, caress, explore all of
him. He fit into the scenery—stark mountains and moors.
The furrows
that hinted above his brows practically promised brooding—complete with a money
back guarantee. His blue eyes narrowed. “Which Baird sent you?” His thick burr
rolled the “r” in a way that prickled her skin.
He
definitely seemed to know Ian and Tristan. Ian was her boss. Tristan was her
boss' brother who ran the sales division. To say they were like night and day
was an understatement. “I'm—”
He scoffed,
cutting off her speech with the abrupt sound. “Ian,” he guessed with pinpoint
accuracy. “Tristan wouldn't have sent a lamb to slaughter.”
Her spine
stiffened. A lamb would have curled up when she had mistakenly authenticated a
forgery three years ago. A sheep would have willingly let the world put a hand
over her eyes while it slit her throat to bleed out from shame, guilt and
mortification. One simply didn't recover from the kind of screw up she'd made,
but Victoria had found employment, convinced her boss to send her to Scotland,
alone, for an all expense paid commission of a castle. This was her first job
oversees for the Bairds and it damn sure wouldn't be her last.
Victoria
Burke was no one's goddamn lamb.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and
Links:
Melissa Blue’s writing career started on
a typewriter one month after her son was born. This would have been an idyllic
situation for a writer if it had been 1985, not 2004. Eventually she upgraded
to a computer. She’s still typing away on the same computer, making imaginary
people fall in love.
Where to find me online:
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My review:
4.5 out of 5 stars
Kilted For Pleasure by Melissa Blue is a contemporary
romance set in Scotland which centers on Victoria Burke and Callan Baird who
share a complicated work relationship.
Victoria has been sent to Scotland to appraise and ship rare antiques
but her job is complicated by the cantankerous but sexy man who bargains his
restoration services for her attentions.
The risk in flouting her employer’s non-fraternization rules is
outweighed by the sizzling connection they make despite the fact that Callan’s
past dictates his inability to plan a future with her.
This delicious tale of lost love and the treasures to be won
if one searches diligently enough is played out on several levels as Victoria’s
job reflects her life. The beautiful
contrast between the plucky but crafty heroine and the curmudgeonly but lusty
Scotsman is deftly portrayed, and the scheming uncle adds a nice layer to the
mix. I have not read the other stories
in this series yet had no trouble getting drawn into this tale and establishing
a liking for these characters. I love
the gradual buildup of the relationship and the exotic location and slightly
foreign customs that enrich the story and the emotional hurdles that have to be
overcome give a depth to the story that kept me invested in the
characters. I am impressed by the author’s
ability to draw me into the story and will definitely be looking for more of
her works!
Kilt Tease by Melissa Blue is book 4 in the ‘Under the
Kilt’ series and centers on Quinton Baird who is trying to deal with the
changes in his life after retiring from his beloved rugby team. He has a healthy distrust for anyone who
isn’t family and doesn’t expect to discover that the sexy traveling nurse who’s
there to take care of his uncle has hidden depths. Letting Katherine Campbell into his life is
complicated by her determination to honor a promise made to her grandmother,
but he convinces her to help him out while she’s in Scotland. The trouble is finding a way for them to truly trust
each other, especially since there is already a predetermined end to their
relationship.
This story is a great continuation to a wonderful series
that combines deliciously sensual interludes with intense emotional
conflicts. I have only read two of the
stories about the sexy Baird males, but wow, one can’t help but adore these
sexy and complex Scots and want to learn about all of the extended family. This author does a fantastic job of creating
characters who have charisma, an unabashedly intense lust for each other, and a
sniffle-inducing history that has shaped them into the complex folks who keep
one spellbound throughout the story. I
love the fact that, thus far, each of these stories can be read as a stand alone,
yet the interconnection enriches the appreciation one develops as each of the
family finds his happy-ever-after, albeit after going through some intense
experiences, and I look forward to reading about more of these sexy Scots and
the women who capture their hearts.
I received this title for my honest review as well.
P.S. There are such great lines in this story, but a couple of my favorites are:
...the black T-shirt he wore that had the words "The answer to your question is nothing," which didn't make sense until you saw he wore a kilt.
and...
If a man in a tuxedo was an aphrodisiac, then a kilt had to simply undo the very threads holding a woman's panties together.
, and am delighted that it is just a delicious a story!