By: Dee Carney

Release Date: 6/21/11

Length: Short Novel

 

 

One spark could burn her world down.

Six years after her husband’s death, Regina Pace is still just going through the motions, her only pleasure a nightly glass (or three) of wine to dull the ache. Tonight is no exception—until a sensual outdoor encounter with her neighbor’s son, freshly home from college. He’s older, wiser, more devastatingly handsome than she remembered. He’s also fifteen years her junior.

Despite her misgivings, it isn’t long before her nightly ritual includes a long, deep drink of Josh Smith. Ogling leads to touching, then the sparks flare into an erotic encounter that feels wickedly right—and deliciously forbidden.

Yet the intense heat can’t burn away the doubt pestering the back of her mind. That the gap between their ages is too large, even for the most determined leap of faith… 

 

Product Warnings

Features a boy-next-door who won’t take no for an answer, more than one sexual fantasy (including some outdoor self-loving!), and a burning romance that proves age is just a number. 

 To Read the EXCERPT CLICK HERE

 REVIEW

Thanks to the Rockets in Flight blog hop contest, I won an awesome book written by Dee Carney!  Thanks Dee J  (She’s so awesome, I feel we are on a first name basis.) 

 

I’m a little off the beaten path when it comes to ratings - It’s so cliché to use a star rating system, so let’s be different and a little naughty.  For Dee Carney’s Keeping Pace rating scale, I’m going to implement the “stroke scale” and I’m giving this book a 4.5 stroke rating!  To the potential reader – you will understand my rating within the first chapter.  So, what are you waiting for?  Purchase the book and get to reading! 

 

Now, on to my brief review - Keeping Pace by Dee Carney, in my opinion, is a MUST READ!  From the very steamy voyeurism scene, which is a total treat, I could not put this book down.  Dee did a great job building her characters in the very beginning so that the reader was able to just sit back and thumb from page to page without having one of the dreaded “huh?” moments. 

 

Regina’s Pros:  She has insecurity issues like we (women) all do.  She considers what her actions will portray.  She second-guesses Joshua’s intentions.  Let’s face it, she’s us ... she’s a real woman!  I could clearly feel the intensity of her dilemma.  I wanted to shout out to her, “Take the leap girl ... he’s into you!”  and “Screw what everyone else thinks, they’re not in the bedroom with you!”  and “Life is too short; you’re not getting younger; make out like hormone crazed bunnies and to heck with what ANYONE thinks!” 

 

Joshua’s Pros:  Everything!  He’s totally into pleasing Regina without being overly-sappy and whipped ... just a tad bit of young, virile male; a pinch of thoughtful, virile male; a handful of holy crap ... pin me against the wall and screw me now, virile male.  Did I happen to mention virile male?  Let’s just say if I were in Regina’s shoes, I would’ve hopped the wall (shouting an Indian war cry if it wouldn’t scare the hell out of him) to offer my assistance! 

 

Cons:  I’m not going to tear the book apart and give any scenes away because that’s just not my style and this review is just my opinion; you, the potential reader, have a brain of your own and can come up with your own cons!  BUT there are some parts of the story where you ask yourself why the hell did she do that? – or – Why didn’t she speak up?  Well, duuuh, where would the conflict be if she didn’t do those things?

 

Overall, without treating this short novel like it was a black-and-white scenario; without tearing it apart because “Well, huh, this is how mainstream American women would react,” I believe this was a GREAT READ and I highly recommend it – I enjoyed a couple hours of pleasurable escape from my own reality while I delved into Regina and Josh’s story. 

 

Review by LoLa Loves Books