Sandy M’s review of Addicted to You by Bethany Kane
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Berkley Trade 7 Jun 11

A rich, sexy Irishman who’s tortured by his deceased wife’s betrayal, hiding himself away to drink every day into oblivion, who wouldn’t want to be the one to bring him out of his misery, especially finding out the man is triple sizzling hot in bed? Yeah, you can bet that’s exactly what our heroine does, even though there’s no guarantee her efforts will garner her what she wants and needs from him.

Rill Pierce is a first-class film director, the world was his oyster. Until the night his wife died eighteen months ago. Until he learned she’d betrayed him in the worst way. Since that time Rill has been totally reclusive in a small, crazy named town, Vulture’s Canyon, drinking to excess to chase his anguish away. Katie is Rill’s best friend’s sister, and she’s been in love with him forever, even during the years he was married to her best friend. No one has been able to reach Rill to get him back on track in life, so she’s quit her job and traveled across the country to hopefully do what everyone else has failed at. She’s also hoping her feelings will finally be returned. What she gets is a drunk Rill who masters her right off the bat, loving her like no man ever has. Yep, even sloshed to high heaven, the man is sex personified. Exactly why he fascinates me throughout this book.

And exactly why he tries to make Katie turn tail and run back to where she came from. Exactly why, though he wants to touch and taste the woman as much as he wants to keep breathing, he vows to keep his hands to himself and keep suffering what his life has become. Rill is afraid to lose control when it comes to Katie – aside from the fact she’s his best friend’s kid sister – because of his past, his mother, who lived from man to man during Rill’s growing-up years, and his uncles, who can’t seem to stay out of jail. But staying away from her is sheer torture, and when she finally pushes his buttons one time too many, Rill breaks. And, heaven help me, the erotic meter goes off the scale into the stratosphere from that point on.

There are very few authors out there who write the erotic and balance it with a story as well. Bethany Kane (aka Beth Kery) is one of those few. Having to stuff a book chock full of sex scenes is the easy part. Giving readers something to also think about, to analyze, to figure out, to sigh over, to scream at, and even to regain normal breathing again 🙂 is the hard part, as far as I’m concerned. I want something in my erotic reading to spark my interest along with sparking my libido, and Ms. Kane is pretty consistent so far at that element of her writing.

When Rill finally does give in to his baser side at Katie’s relentless pushing, he gets huge points for creativeness, even if he does hold back his control for fear of hurting her. But she wants him to lose control, not knowing what his fear stems from. Their lovemaking scenes are intense and raw, the location giving as much to the scenes as the sex itself. There’s some darned good sexual creativeness going on between these two. As much as Katie is happy with the way things are turning out for them, it’s Rill who still has doubts and refuses to commit to her no further than the bedroom. Then everything begins to go wrong, Rill has yet to remember their first night together and his reaction to finding out is to leave Katie behind, despite his assurance he’ll return. Katie has already decided to stay put, whether Rill returns or not. She’s found a job that will keep her busy and happy. She’s sure of her love for Rill, so there’s not much more she can do if the man refuses to confront his commitment issues head on.

There’s also a side story or two that involve the local townsfolk, giving another layer or two to the story. And those secondary characters are all eccentric to the max, making those scenes crazy and fun. If you love to read erotic romance and haven’t tried Bethany Kane yet, this could very well be the book for you.  I have a feeling you’ll be adding her to your to-be-bought list once you experience her brand of sinful sizzle.

Grade: B+

Summary:

All it takes is a moment for your life to change—one night of desire to make you feel alive…

Irish film director Rill Pierce fled to the tiny, backwoods town of Vulture ‘s Canyon, seeking sanctuary and solitude after a devastating tragedy. Once, his raw sex appeal and sultry Irish accent made women across the globe swoon. Now, he’s barely recognizable…

But Katie Hughes, his best friend’s sister, is not the type of woman to give up on a man like Rill. She blazes into Vulture’s Canyon determined to save him from himself. Instead, she finds herself unleashing years of pent-up passion. In a storm of hunger and need, Katie and Rill forget themselves and the world. But will Rill’s insatiable attraction to Katie heal his pain—or will it just feed the darkness within him?

Read an excerpt.