Shannon C.’s review of Whispers in the Dark by Kira Sinclair
Contemporary erotic romance released by Harlequin Blaze 1 Aug 08

This is one of those books that suffered from the “It’s not you, it’s me” syndrome. I liked the story well enough, and it features a heroine who felt like a genuinely real person, but there were several things that struck me as too cheesy for words.

Karyn is a rape survivor, and she’s been without sex for the past five years. Her best friend convinces her to call a local radio sex talk show and ask for some expert attention from the delectable host. Chris, known to the world as Dr. Desire, knows that getting involved with Karyn could potentially ruin his career, but she intrigues him, and so, wanting to help her, he sets out to thoroughly seduce her.

As I said above, Karyn made this story for me. Her reactions seemed real, and I liked that she wasn’t overly angsty. Her issues with her mom were also a very nice touch, and I liked that she seemed to have a genuinely good relationship with her best friend, who was there for actual substantial parts of the book, not just the first chapter’s ruminations about how much Karyn needs a man.

Chris I didn’t like so well. First of all, I couldn’t get over the name Dr. Desire as a pseudonym. It just begs to be read aloud with porn music in the background. And he is one of those heroes with whom I have no patience. He had a bad childhood, oh noes! He refuses to be put in such a precarious financial position ever again, and he goes through a lot of “I shouldn’t touch Karyn for her own good” moments, which frustrated both me and Karyn. Ultimately, I really wanted to cut him a huge slice of Get Over Yourself cake.

There was other stuff that bothered me, which might not make anyone else raise an eyebrow. I question whether radio sex talk shows are really as popular as Ms. Sinclair would have us believe. I mean, do people really sit around the house and listen to The Love Line and fantasize about Dr. Drew? I also found the introduction of Chris’s father, the book’s major villain, to be a bit too much. His scenes were definitely extraneous, and while they did add tension, in the end I just thought they were unnecessary.

I think others will enjoy this book more than I did, and I think Ms. Sinclair is an author to watch out for, but my recommendation here is only lukewarm.

Grade: C

Summary:
Karyn Mitchell once thought she’d never let another man touch her. But that was before she was seduced by the sinful voice of Dr. Desire! Listening to the radio talk show host, Karyn knows that his suave advice masks deep urges. Longings she’s sure she can answer skin on skin … Christopher Faulkner, aka Dr. Desire, has built an on-air career in carnal counseling. When Karyn calls in, he hears a pang in her voice that he longs to soothe. But when they finally have the chance to fulfill their explicit fantasies, he has to wonder which one of them is playing doctor. Because the supersexy treatment he’s prescribed seems to be healing them both….

Read an excerpt here.