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Book CoverSandy M’s review of Thirty Nights with a Dirty Boy, Parts 1-3 by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Romance published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 2 Feb 16

Do you sometimes doubt your favorite authors? I imagine we all do from time to time. I should know better when it comes to Shiloh Walker, mostly because I’ve said over and over again in my reviews of her books that the emotional pull she gives readers is the best thing I like about her stories. So why did I doubt this time she wouldn’t be able to do the same with a hero who’s a prostitute?

In Part 1 we meet Ella and Sean. Ella is quite damaged, doesn’t like to be touched, and is immediately drawn to Sean, a bartender where a friend also works. Even when she’s told women pay him for sex, Ella’s thoughts are full of Sean. We also learn that Ella is rich. Hugely rich. She donates to hospitals, builds shelters, and when it comes time to keep Sean in her life, a contact that includes a cool half mil for thirty days with this mysterious but sensitive man is no problem for her deep pockets. Sean is very observant and perceptive, sees into Ella nearly from the start. And this is where your heart begins to soften for these characters. They’ve both had horrible pasts, are doing what they can in their own way to make their current lives better, but when they’re together Ms. Walker wrings every last emotion out of you. And that’s just in this short first introduction of these characters.

Grade: A

Summary:

Money Can’t Buy Love…
Ella Cruise doesn’t like to be touched. A survivor of childhood abuse, she craves security in all aspects of her life: fulfilling work at the nonprofit she runs, more than enough money to live comfortably, and a good friend and confidant. But none of it can ease her longing for intimacy, even if just for a night. When she meets a gorgeous bartender who moonlights as a male prostitute, a bold idea begins to take shape…

But It Can Buy a Night of Passion–or Thirty…
Sean Lachlan is stunned by the cool beauty’s offer: 30 nights of no-strings sex in exchange for all the money he’d need to start over. The deal seems too good to be true, especially since his desire for her is no act, but Sean finds he can’t turn her down. Before they know it, Sean and Ella realize they’re in deep, their defenses crumbling. Will thirty nights with a dirty boy be enough after all, or will love lead Ella and Sean back to the negotiating table?

Read an excerpt.

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Book CoverElla’s evolution in Part 2 is wonderful to see. Spending time with Sean ramps up her confidence in herself – outside business. She’s got it made in all her business dealings, so seeing her blossom otherwise is wonderfully done under Sean’s tutelage. And that’s not even in the bedroom. Though they share only a few days a week together, it’s enough for Sean to know exactly what to do for Ella to get her to open up and live.

But that first scene where he coaxes her into some intimate touching and kissing? Sean’s sexuality, at a low roar, pulling Ella’s out of her softly, gently. A terrific scene with an unforeseen twist. I fell for Sean as surely and completely as Ella does. It’s her growth throughout this portion that takes center stage, but you can tell Sean’s is not far behind.

While things go fairly smoothly for them during this part, when the blow-up comes at the end, it’s a huge and very emotional one. One that has Ella seeking Sean out afterward, and that ending just a few pages later will leave you breathless.

Grade: A

Summary:

Haunted by her past, Ella Cruise has no desire for a long-term relationship, but thanks to a contract with wickedly handsome bartender and male prostitute Sean Lachlan, she now has thirty nights to live out every fantasy she’s ever had—and more—under the tutelage of a very dirty boy. There’s just one problem: Love was never part of the deal…

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Book CoverPart 3 is where the really heavy emotion comes into play. We learn exactly what both Sean and Ella went through as children in their own homes that set them up for the lives they each had when they met. Both terribly awful, Ella’s a little more so because she didn’t have the chance to run as Sean did. There’s still the ups and downs in their relationship, and it’s at this point I thought maybe, just maybe we’re getting a love story instead of a true romance this time around. There’s that doubt again in my favorite author. Silly me.

Ella has decided to pick up stakes and start a new life somewhere else. It’s easier for her now to be around people. All because of Sean. But he’s not able to let himself love, and the reasons for that are as shattering as Ella’s. He chooses a lovely way to tell her everything, though, and finally admit he deserves more and to make her believe in him. They’ve both shed the horror and hurt of being damaged and alone, They’ve both grown tremendously and they can take on anything as along as it’s together.

Grade: A

Summary:

Ella Cruise knows love isn’t for her. Or she did, before her arrangement with sinfully sexy bartender and male prostitute, Sean Lachlan, for thirty nights of fantastic, no-strings sex. But the more she learns about him, the deeper she falls, until she starts to wonder: Can thirty nights be enough when what she really wants is forever?

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sandym-iconYou’d be crazy not to read all three parts in order, but I’m going to issue that warning anyway. This is an amazingly sexy, fun, and emotional read, so do it justice and start at the beginning. They’re fairly quick reads, being novella length, but you may get caught up in the emotion and slow down a bit. But that’s a good thing. If this is your first Shiloh Walker read, I can guarantee when you’re done, it won’t be your last.

Overall Grade: A