Gwen’s review of Down and Dirty by Sandra Hill
Contemporary romance published 6 Nov 07 by Berkley Sensation
Blurb:
Navy SEAL Zachary Floyd is so pretty he’s been dubbed “Pretty Boy.” Britta Asadottir is so big she’s been dubbed Britta the Big. Sammy Floyd is so bad he’s been dubbed Sammy the Snot.
All Zach wants is a little love from the woman he’s obsessed with, and maybe someone to help him care for the five-year-old, half-Arab son he never knew he had. All Britta wants is to join the WEALS, a female version of Navy SEALs, and perhaps experience a couple of those so-called orgy-as-hims.
You’ll laugh out loud as Pretty Boy gets his comeupance and wish you had a Navy SEAL of your own.
Read an excerpt.
Here are the genres covered by this book – erotic romance, historical, time-travel, paranormal, contemporary, military. Hmm. Let’s see – have I missed any of them?Â
I didn’t want to like this book. I detest stereotypes in a novel.  For example, a Louisiana-based novel that has a Cajun with a gap-toothed grin and pet ‘gators just irritates the snot out of me (read my review of Tall, Dark, and Cajun by the same author for this bit of fun). In this book, it was a 6-foot tall Viking woman (the heroine, Britta) who persisted in calling men “lack-wits” and a Navy SEAL (the hero, Zach) who was constantly trying to get in her pants. Then there are the completely bizarre, seemingly random, very opportune time-jumps – are they 11th century people or 21st century? Who knows.
But a funny thing happened on the way to the Grade D- review – I started to like the story, flaws and all. I still rolled my eyes at Britta’s silly affectations. I still thought Zach was a bit of a dog panting after everything with a vagina. And the kid, Sammy, (from a previous dalliance by the hero) was an odd touch. Not to mention the female SEAL program, called WEALs, was just plain silly. (Watch – someone will tell me this is a real thing and I’ll have to eat crow.)
It was a very engaging story – goofy plot devices and all. The characters were interesting and the erotic scenes were very hot (and athletic). If you’re a Sandra Hill fan, you’ll like this book. If you’re looking for something on the light side, you’ll like this book. If you at all take yourself seriously, I don’t recommend this book – it will just tick you off.
I love this cover, by the way – go after the jump for a larger image. The model is a hottie but, according to her website, apparently not as pretty as the author envisions Zach (think Gabriel Aubry).
Grade: C+
What’s next for this author:
Next in this series (Viking Series II), Fast and Furious to be released Aug ’08
I dunno …
It just seems too stupid to me. The only thing missing from your description was that the SEAL was also a timewarped Regency Lord and Spy — or a vampire!
WEALs? I thought that was, like, a scar or something.
(The Navy doesn’t have WEALs. Trust me.)
But is there a kitchen sink in this one???? The problem I have with her books is she just carries a theme on too long. I liked the first couple of Cajun books and then enough was enough. Same thing with the Viking books. I haven’t read any of her Seal books though I do have one.
Kristie(J) – You’re absolutely right. She does manage to beat on a theme like a toddler with a drum.
Okay, everyone who went and Googled (or Wikied, etc.) Navy Weals or Female Navy Seals just so you could be the one to pass Gwen the knife and fork, raise your hand.
Bev
*grumble*damnWordPresscutoffmyanswer*grumble*
Bev– who is looking around at all the exposed armpits, including her own
;-p
I didn’t! But hey I tried to get her to send you this book to read. And still find the trailer… odd.
I have read a book by her. Hell if I can remember the title. It wasn’t a viking or cajun. TT though… I think with a western theme. ::shrug:: I am just not a girl who like ‘here is funny’ books. And make it slapstick funny and I annoy.
I did sooooooo think Beavis and Butthead would like her though. Does this make me half wrong or half right?
I have one of Sandra Hill’s books TBR thanks to my librarything suggester. But this review makes me hesitate to try her, although my mom and sister both love her to bits.
Shannon: Oh she’s very good – I didn’t mean to suggest she wasn’t. It’s just that after a couple of books of the series it’s more rinse and repeat and repeat and repeat. So I say go ahead and lessen that TBR pile by one.
Is there an Indian working at a “Quick-E-Mart”? Now that would make for a great story! A time warping indian guy from a local convenience store in lust after “the viking bitch”….
Actually, Sandra Hill isn’t bad at all. I’ve read and enjoyed her books before, but she’s probably 3rd or 4th tier TBR. I’ve probably read a couple of books in most of her “themes”, however, like Kristie said, the “gags” get repetitive and 2 or 3 in each “theme” is MORE than enough. A little wackiness goes a long way and you then start to get hungry for a “full meal”.
Sammy needed his mouth washed out with soap, IMO. No 5 year old should have a mouth like that and get away with it. 🙂