Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of Layover by Megan Hart
Contemporary erotic romance eBook short story released by Harlequin Spice Briefs 1 Dec 08
Someone over at Harlequin was having an inspired moment when the decision was made to release Megan Hart’s latest Spice Briefs short story in December. Just in time for the holiday travel season, a short story about a canceled flight, unexpected layover, and the sexy shenanigans that can ensue. Seriously, we should all be so lucky.
Julia is trying to get home to the east coast, but bad weather has her stuck in Texas. Her fellow travelers are more than a little ornery, desperate to get home to their families for Christmas. Julia is rolling with it though. All she has back at home is an empty apartment and some pet fish. So when the airline offers her a hotel room she takes it. And when Graham finds out that she’s stuck in his hometown overnight, he practically runs out the door to take her out to dinner.
Julia and Graham met at a work conference several months back when they were paired in a trust exercise. Sparks flew between them, but not wanting to mix business and pleasure, plus being a little scared, Julia walked away and Graham, like an idiot, let her. Since then they’ve kept up a “relationship” online. Hanging on a social networking site, exchanging funny e-mails, but nothing hot and heavy. Well now that Julia is in town, and has agreed to see him, Graham is determined to give her all the pleasure she can handle.
This is a quick steamy read, and even with the short word count, the author does a good job filling in the back story. These very brief flashbacks also help in filling in more character development without inundating the reader. The sex scenes are hot and very spicy, and I especially appreciated that Julia was allowed to be “in charge” of the encounters without falling head long into vinyl-wearing, whip-wielding, dominatrix territory (not that there is anything wrong with that). She tells Graham how to please her, and Graham is more than willing to cater to her desires.
The ending is what will most likely be a stumbling block for some readers. It’s happy, but it’s most definitely a “happily ever after for now” type of scenario. Very believable, in my opinion, given the word count of these Spice Briefs stories, and considering that prior to this smoking hot encounter, Graham and Julia had really been tap dancing around each other. However readers who want a diamond ring and the heroine pregnant with triplets at the end of the story will very likely be disappointed.
I would strongly recommend this gem of a story to Megan Hart’s growing number of fans. It’s also an ideal read for when you’re stuck at an airport, like I was. The only disappointment was that I didn’t have my very own Graham to call. Some girls have all the luck.
Grade: B+
Read Limecello’s review here.
Summary:
The first time she’d met him, he’d been blindfolded and at her mercy. Partnered in a trust exercise, Graham had been enticed by the allure of Julia’s voice, and eagerly followed her direction to navigate a maze. But as a warm friendship developed between them, their mutual attraction remained unacknowledged. And in the long-distance e-mail relationship that followed, their reticence persisted. Until the day a cancelled flight stranded Julia in Graham’s home town.
Both tried to play it cool, though each had approached their dinner date with intense anticipation. But the minute they stepped into Julia’s hotel room, the flood gates opened and their unfettered passion exploded. What really excited Julia, though, was that as in the trust exercise, Graham was great at taking direction. Because what really excited Graham was pleasuring Julia as no one else ever had.
Read an excerpt.
