Sandy M’s review of Tart (Delicious, Book 2) by Lauren Dane
Contemporary Erotic Romance published by Berkley Trade 6 Nov 12

Okay, I can’t believe I’m going to say this. I have an issue with one of the sexy, gorgeous, built heroes in this book, one who loves sex any way and every way he can get it with our heroine – and the other hero. This very rarely happens to me, I’m usually okay with whatever a sexy, gorgeous, built hero does. However, because we’re dealing with two of these heroes, well, one just kinda irritated me a bit.

And because this is a ménage relationship, the two heroes are even into each other right off the bat, just so they can both be with Juliet. But I side with her when it comes to Cal and his very late decision to make a move on her, to finally proclaim he’d like to have her in his life. Of course, she forgives him, invites him into her new world – would have taken longer if it had been me, however – which already includes Gideon. Now, Gideon, he can do wrong in my eyes.

Juliet is one of those strong, independent women who’s been on her own a long time, has had relationships that fizzled out much sooner than she’d like. She’s had a thing for Cal since they were kids, even though he’s a few years older. He was her first kiss, but he also had the good sense to stay away because she was so young at that time. But then he stayed away forever. He doesn’t want to lose her friendship, in case a sexual relationship wouldn’t work out if they would ever go that far. So he’s dated others, men as well as women, all relationships that fizzled just as Juliet’s has.

So when Juliet meets up with Gideon again – he also grew up with Juliet and Cal – and he’s nearly perfection in everything a woman could want, she decides he’s her future. She has to move on, away from Cal, despite what friends tell her. Gideon is back in town, taking over the ranch from his granddad, putting new ideas to work, ideas which he never got to try on his own ranch before selling. He was still in partnership with his ex-brother-in-law, so it was an awkward situation. He’s happier now, a place of his own, with family, and now Juliet has become his center. That is until she hits him with a bomb that could blow everything to smithereens.

See, that’s when Cal decides he’s not going to let another man have Juliet, one who’s serious about her this time around. So he ambushes her behind Tart, her bakery, and lays one on her, which she reciprocates. You can’t blame her. She has wanted him for a very long time. But then her sense return and she lets Cal have it. He had his chance, it’s gone, Gideon is who she’s with now. And she has to tell him what happened in that alley.

This is where each man’s attention is caught. They’re about to lose the one woman who means everything. So it’s either come to blows, a huge mess and hurt feelings resulting, or be amenable to a threesome so they don’t lose Juliet. It’s that quick. Literally. Cal and Gideon make it known they each like cock, so no problem, we have a menage, thank you very much. But this scares Juliet. What if they go for one another more than her? Will they eventually resent her? Those boys have to do some fast stepping to reassure her. I do enjoy their tenderness and loving nature with Juliet, despite the fact they’re both very dominant in the bedroom. It takes them a while, but they eventually learn to discuss things with her before making decisions.

I like the way each of the character’s family life is woven into the story. It’s Juliet who has a difficult time with her family, all treating her quite badly. Gideon’s granddad and Cal’s family are gems, thus giving them the tools necessary to make their relationship with Juliet work successfully, as well as being the family she needs. The same goes for all of their friends. They’re all supportive and loving, doing for one another just as friends should.

Of course, the sex scenes go from intense and fiery to tender, loving, and fun. I would have liked Gideon and Cal to have their scenes a little earlier. I started to question whether or not that would even be included in the story. Their easiness with one another is nice, contrasted with the fierceness of their love scenes. This is a learning process for all of them, how to live together, get along, balance their life in all aspects. There are mistakes along the way, but they talk things out, and by the end there’s no doubt these three are definitely meant for each other.

Grade: B-

Summary:

Juliet Lamprey is having the time of her life running her successful bakery, TART, when Gideon Carter comes back into her life. Returning home to help his grandfather run the family on the farm, Gideon is back for good. When they meet again, the spark between them is immediate, and it isn’t long before the former childhood friends play catch up in bed.

That’s not good news for local lawyer Cal Whaley. Though the sexually open but strictly monogamous Cal has loved Jules for a long time, he’s hardly ever taken it further than friendship. When he sees her start to fall for Gideon, he knows he has to make his move or risk losing her forever.

Who would have anticipated that all three of them would connect on such an intimate level? The trio’s scalding liaisons take them places they’ve never dreamed. But such an intensely passionate and unusual relationship comes with equally as complicated emotions, and when Jules must suddenly leave town, she wonders if she’ll have a choice to make when she returns.

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: