Review: Heat Wave – Ceri Grenelle
Heat Waveby Ceri Grenelle
Publisher: Carina Press
Publication Date: April 30, 2018
Genres: Romance
Source: NetGalley
I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
My rating:
For those times when size does matter. The Dirty Bits from Carina Press: quick and dirty, just the way we like it.
Temperatures are shooting sky-high, but Faye Arnell doesn’t need a weatherman to tell her it’s about to get hotter than hell
Four months ago, I moved from New York to California, and my life changed for the better. Beautiful weather—most of the time—and a job I love. Life is perfect.
There’s just one little thing. Well, a big thing, actually. I can’t stop fantasizing about my neighbor.
Ben is tall—like, really tall. His beautiful eyes and lickable skin have me hypnotized. And don’t even get me started on his dimple. It’s as if he was made to drive me crazy.
The walls are thin. Paper-thin. Accidentally-on-purpose-overhearing-him-having-great-sex thin.
I’ve got it bad enough on a regular day, but this heat has me crawling out of my skin, restless and desperate. My hormone-fueled, vibrator-assisted fantasies aren’t exactly helping me cope.
And now he’s at my door.
Things are about to get sticky.
This book is approximately 13,000 words
Talk about a heat wave! This novella, part of Carina Press’s Dirty Bits line, is short, super steamy, and cute! It’s also the first book I’ve read that could make a BART ride sound romantic!
“Hi, Faye, how’s the new apartment?”
I laugh but play along.
“Oh, it’s pretty good.”
“Cats are settling in?”
“Yup, they’re exploring all the new scents.”
“Haven’t bought any hamsters since we spoke last?”
“If I had, the cats would have eaten them.”
“Want to come over so I can make you waffles and make love to you till you scream my name?”
Faye moved in to the apartment next to Ben’s a few months ago, and since their first meeting, they’ve become everyday BART commute buddies. Though ever since overhearing Ben going at it with with a date one night soon after they met, Faye’s been lusting after him – and wearing out her vibrator! A power outage during a particularly bad heat wave finally lowers Faye’s inhibitions enough to give in to her lust for him, but when the lights come back on, will this just be a one-night-stand or the start of something more?
“When we first met I never thought you’d be this way.”
“What way?” He nuzzles my neck, licks where the dress strap sits on my shoulder.
“So dirty and unashamed by it.”
Wow, I think this is the steamiest Dirty Bits I’ve read yet! Not only that, but the story worked really well for me. While the novella takes place the night of the power outage, there’s short flashbacks to various events during the months since they’ve met and plenty of friendly banter to reinforce that they already have an existing relationship. Ben was both a ridiculously hot dirty talker and a delightfully sweet guy who handled Faye’s insecurities well. For such a short novella, it felt packed full of relationship silliness, character development, and, oh yeah, seriously hot sex.
Overall, this is my favorite novella from the Dirty Bits line! I’ll definitely be looking up the rest of this author’s work!
