Keeping Pace

by Dee Carney

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… 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.  

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Erotica, Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2011

About the author

Dee is a best-selling, award winning author of erotic romances in the urban fantasy, paranormal and contemporary genres. She also writes erotica under the pen name, Morgan Sierra.

Dee began writing short stories in middle school, but did not attempt completion of a novel until almost ten years later—which despite good intentions was never finished. Almost ten additional years later, she challenged herself to begin writing again, and the love for storytelling was rekindled.

Dee lives in Florida with her two dogs. When not writing, she is usually curled up on the couch with a good book!

Reviews

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a 3.5, rounded up to a 4. It was a lot better than some of the books I've read. It was well written, I feel I knew the characters well. This was a Y/O book (I'm trying to start a new acronym (H younger/h older). 14 years difference. A slight variation was that he was just getting his PhD in Physics so maybe a little more sophisticated fare for a widowed cougar. They had hot chemistry, good conversations, she just had a hard time justifying the age difference AND her biological clock was ticking. So he was really pretty committed, she had her doubts. I got a little tired of her self doubt only because I would have jumped his young, beautiful bones and never had a second thought. But life is different for real people so they had a few bumps along the road but walked off hand in hand.

[Karla Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Dee Carney's beautiful style shines in this true romance.

I always love Ms. Carney's voice, and older woman/younger man stories in general, but I was a tad hesitant to read this because it was written in the first person (not my favourite...I've passed on many books for that reason alone). Ms. Carney executed the first person narrative perfectly. I was completely immersed in every moment of the story. I smiled, laughed, fanned myself at the hot parts, and almost cried a couple of times. Excellent read!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regina likes a glass of wine when she gets home after work and sometimes she mourns her dead husband. This night she was sitting outside and remembering things when something caught her eye and she stumbled across her neighbors son who just happened to be home from college. And can we say what a sight that was for her. 

Now I don't want to giveaway all the goodies but Dee Carney bring you a erotic story about a older woman who gets involved with a younger man. And boy oh boy it will make you drool and pant. Josh is not only a breath of fresh air for her, but has wanted her for a long time. He wants to be the one to make her smile since she is always looking so sad. 
I felt for Regina and what she went through. She is a strong woman but sometimes even the strongest women need a crutch at times. I thought it was not only sweet but sexy of Josh to want to be that for her. A one night stand is never enough. One kiss leads to one touch, but with the chemistry these two have that isn't even close to enough. Although the sex is good these two have to deal with some very real bumps in the road the question is can they make it?

I loved this story till the very end. It had heartache, romance, and some hot lovin. Loved the main characters. Although there were times in the book when I wanted to bitch slap Regina for being stupid with the whole Josh situation, but then again had every right to want to take things slow to see what would happen. I will give it to Josh for wanting to be there for the long hull. At times I felt so bad for him I wanted to hug him. He was generally a really nice guy who cared. 
 
So after all this I have decided I want my own Josh. A man who can read you for everything you are and want. *dreamy sigh* Regina and Josh weren't perfect but perfect enough for each other. They both taught each other so many things. And the ending will just blow you away. Will Regina start new? or Will she just continue her everyday motions?

Dee Carney brings so many emotions to her books. They are hot and satisfying. You will gobble them up in just one sitting. If you love hot romances with no boundaries you have to read Dee Carney, she is guaranteed to leave you panting and dreaming about all the yummy things you should be doing. I simply couldn't get enough of Regina and Josh.  I hope you enjoy Keeping Pace as much as I did.

[Katherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Older woman, younger man. I enjoyed this story a lot. The love that developed between the two was sweet and sexy.

What pissed me off was the fact that she suddenly wants a baby and the book ended w a HEA including her being pregnant at the end. For goodness sakes, people! Not everyone has babies, not everyone wants babies. They don't have to be present to have a HEA. Why not end with a HFN or a decision to not have children? /rant This knocked it down from a 3 star to 2 star for me.

Bought this one from Kobo.

[rove · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice for a short read.
So I should start with our FL Regina who is super lonely and is missing something in her life. But I really wanted to know the dynamics which she has with her friends which was so less.
The ML is Josh who is totally unknown as we didn't get to know his life, his friends or his point of view. He just disappeared and appeared according to his own convenience which is kinda off.
Other than that the epilogue was really not needed just for the sake of it!
I really wanted to know what happens in their life when both are on their own.
Everything was put forcefully and their was no confrontation of Lou or what happened with him!
Short Read that's it!

[Brandy Mulder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola's secret was not what I expected at all. A bit of a surprise there, wished I had a bit of a hint before the explicit details but the story is well done. Keep an open mind with this one and you'll be fine :)

[Cyril Joyce Aguilar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, uhmm i give it a 5 coz they ended up in the end and the irresistble woman reciprocate his feelings, where this audacious man possesed maturity that made this woman appealing to her.
age doesnt matter that's all.
the only matters is the passioante desire for each other hahahahaha

[Edit · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

* Hero(s) - 2/5
* Heroine(s) - 3/5
* Secondary Characters - 2/5

* Plot - 3/5
* Romance/Steam - 3/5
* Drama/Conflict/Angst - 3/5

* Writing Style - 2/5

[KatiD · Rating 4 out of 5]

When widow Regina Pace spots her neighbor masturbating on his back deck, she's unable to look away. He's young, gorgeous, and frankly, it's been a long dry spell for Regina since her husband died. When he approaches her after he's finished and asks if he'll see her "same time, same place" tomorrow, she's unnerved and definitely intrigued. The next day, Regina can think of nothing else. When she gets home, she pours herself a glass of wine, intending to step outside and see what happens. Instead, there's a knock at the door, and Josh Smith, her neighbor, is standing there chagrined. He confesses he'd had a bit too much to drink, and never should have approached her. He's hoping that she'll forgive him. She decides on the spot to forgive him and invite him in for dinner. As they talk, they find much in common, and definitely have a sizzling chemistry. Regina would like to have a fling with Josh, but he's determined to have more. Of course, she's 15 years older than him, and she knows without a doubt that she's too old for him. But Josh, house sitting for his folks while he finishes his doctoral dissertation, is determined. He's had a thing for Regina for ages, and he's definitely not going to let a golden opportunity slip away. They do have things, besides terrific chemistry in common, but can he convince her to put aside her issues with his age, and give him a true opportunity to woo her?

The story is told in the first person, by Regina, and she's definitely an entertaining narrator. She still feels a lot of grief over Patrick, her husband's death three years earlier. And she really doesn't ever think she'll find someone who fulfills her needs like he did. But she knows he'd want her to move on with her life. Josh looks like the perfect way to snap her out of her sexual doldrums. No strings, just a fling. But as she gets to know Josh, she begins to like him more and more. She's also having issues at work, a younger coworker is being promoted over her, and Regina is just sick about it. When her boss, Lou, who she's always been friendly with, even going on a couple of dates after Patrick's death, indicates he's willing to promote her too, just so that she'll no longer be his subordinate and they can be free to date, Regina is not interested. Or, she's not interested in the dating part. She'd love to promotion. But when Lou shows up at her house after she's spent the night with Josh, and Regina doesn't explain their relationship to Lou, Josh in angry. He's beginning to see that Regina doesn't want a relationship with him. She'll never give dating him a real chance. He storms out, very angry. Regina begins to realize that Josh's feelings for her are stronger than she imagined. The question is, how does she really feel about Josh? And is she strong enough to trust her heart to another man?

I really enjoyed this book. As I said, Regina is very likable, and really, I never missed seeing Josh's perspective, mostly because it's a well narrated story, and it was easy to imagine what scenes looked like just visualizing them through Regina's eyes. Josh definitely tracked young (which he was), occasionally acting a bit like a baby when things didn't go his way. But overall, he was a guy who I believed a woman would fall for. I did think that the declaration of love came a bit too quickly. I wasn't completely sold that she loved him. I believed he loved her, he comes off as quite impetuous, but I wasn't as sold on her completely giving her heart to him. The story features some terrifically entertaining love scenes and a deft, smooth hand with first person perspective. For those looking for a spicy, quick summer read, Keeping Pace definitely fits the bill.

Final grade: B

[Nikki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping Pace takes the age old cougar scenario and gives it a bit of new life from the inside looking out. As readers we get to see everything in a different, if not entirely new, light. Being only 29 myself its hard for me to envision a cougar in me. I mean, that would be a 18-year-old and let’s be honest for the most part I find that weird. I was 18 once. I have no desire to go back or try to relive my glory days through a guy. I also don’t think at 18 a guy would even be mature enough to turn my head. He may be smoking hot but he’s still 18.Ok..unless you’re that werewolf from Twilight…in which case…call me.

Regina is in her early 40′s and Josh is in his mid 20′s. Not out of the realm of possibilities these days. Sure there are still stigmas attached with an older woman dating a younger guy but I find those are further and further in between these days. For years it was okay for an older man and a younger woman to be together. But no more. The cougars have risen and I for one say YAY! At least that’s what one side of my brain says. The other side, the deeply ingrained southern heritage in my family side, says hmmmmmm. I think had this book had a man in his 30′s with a woman in her late 40′s it might have been a bit different. Josh being still in college pretty much threw me a bit. I felt that even though he had an “old soul” and for the most part he was incredibly mature, that his age was a definite concern. He hadn’t really been in the real world yet, hadn’t started his career. I think his age showed a lot in a few instances. Yes, they do overcome them but it didn’t feel as real as it should.

There was some disconnect for me throughout the book. It started off really strong. I loved the characters even though I didn’t agree with some of them, but as the book went on I felt a bit “off”. I can’t put my finger on why exactly. Perhaps its just my inability to relate because of my own age and experiences. I found myself yelling at Regina because it was obvious she wasn’t interested in Lou (her boss) romantically but was still tempted to take what appeared to be the easy way out and just marry him for the sake of not being alone, being with someone her own age and having a family. I can understand to a degree but as many times as she said she wasn’t interested she was also mulling over the possibilities. When she wasn’t mulling over Lou she was thinking about her dead husband Patrick. It just felt like a ton of baggage and I think all of it combined just made me distance myself a bit.

I will tell you what worked though…the sex. Orgasms all around for everyone. WOW. Those were some sexy scenes. Regina is one virile middle-aged lady. Though I guess that’s when women hit their peak. So maybe it made sense to be with a man who is also hitting his peak in his 20′s. I think that was God’s idea of a cruel joke right there. Make it so we as a species hit our mating highs twenty years apart! Humpffff!

Near the end I came back into the book all the way. I enjoyed the ending and I liked the one year jump into the future. I liked the way in which closure was given to everything and the sweetness of it all in how Dee gave us a 180 from a earlier point in the book.

Keeping Pace will make you re-evaluate your thinking on “cougars”. Giving you the ability to experience feelings from the inside instead of being an outsider.

I give Keeping Pace by Dee Carney 3.50 stars!

[Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/201...

Keeping Pace<.i> is a sublime tale of love between a young man of twenty-six, who invites the attentions of his dream woman next door, a lonely widow of forty-one by giving her a show to remember.

Gorgeous, descriptive, beautifully written, yet so achingly tender and poignant with a divine first encounter over a back fence that left me breathless. Wonderful characters portrayed in such vivid detail, that I couldn’t have put this book down to save my life! So full of love and alive were they that I felt like I was watching a movie, not merely reading a work of fiction. Most memorable for me was how I couldn’t help but think that Regina and Josh so deserved every happiness together. Yet the thought occurred to me too,(and it made me grin) that perhaps it was Gina that needed to “grow-up” not Josh, who so blatantly loved her and was proud to be with her, regardless of what anyone else thought.

This is a plot that could have been a stale, repetitive litany with the stench of societies prejudice against an older woman and a younger man having a sexual relationship. Never mind the cruelty, petty jealousies and judgements of others, or even their own feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, rejection, etc. But instead it came across as fresh, bittersweet, intensely erotic, evocative and had me crying and laughing all at the same time. Simply Bliss!

I loved the way Ms. Carney drew upon her secondary characters: Regina’s slightly slimy boss Lou, the infallible and endearing secretary, Linda and even Regina’s rival, Beth. Each contributing in their own way to the inevitable conclusion and finale. The last chapter was an interesting dichotomy, in that it was the perfect beginning and end to this wonderful love story. I recommend Keeping Pace whole-heartedly and look forward to further examples of Ms. Carney’s work.

[Christi Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full review reposted from my Smitten with Reading blog...

My Review:
Okay, yes, this is an erotic love story featuring a cougar-style relationship (26 vs. 41), but OMG, it was a really gorgeous story. Regina is a 41 yo widow. Josh is a 26 yo grad student (on the verge of his PhD in physics) house-sitting for his parents for the summer in the house next door to Regina's. His initial contact with her was: him- by the pool masturbating in his backyard; her- standing on her deck watching, but...wait for it- he knew that she was there. Yup....HOT!!

Josh has grown up thinking that she was the hot lady next door, but now she's sad all the time and he's made it his mission to rectify that. They mesh. They talk easily. They have a good time together- both in and out of bed. But she sees them as simply a fling- the age difference is too big of an obstacle in her mind. But Josh views this as something much more serious.

15 years is a big difference especially when the girl is the older one. IT was fun to watch Regina get her eyes, mind, and heart opened up to what exactly she was throwing away with Josh by not taking him seriously.

Josh is ernest, in love, and all-in for this relationship. He doesn't understand Regina's reticence even after she is mistaken for his mother. He refuses to see the issues and the issues are all that Regina can see. But beyond that, they are so perfect for each other. They connect, both physically & emotionally, perfectly.

It's a really gorgeous love story and I enjoyed every aspect of it. It's fun to read a story where the guy is absolutely the pursuer in the relationship.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Keeping Pace was a nice easy read, an emotional roller coaster for me and lot's of swooning. Such a sadness Regina has in her lonely life.
She doesn't date much, comes home & does the same thing almost every night. Since the death of her husband, his memory haunted her
constantly and she just seemed to stuck in her life. Enter Josh. The young, hot & sexy next door neighbor, who just happens to be 15 years younger than her. I just loved how they "met"..voyeurism anyone? I felt a little naughty "watching".

He is such a sweet guy and has an old soul. He is so much older than his years. And strives for a real relationship with Regina. All she can see is his age and believes that nothing can develop past just their sexual fun.

I love how Regina doesn't want to be vulnerable, she has this inner struggle with her feelings about Josh. Her mind says one thing and her heart another. I love how Dee really concentrates
on the dialogue between Josh and Regina. They share wonderful stories of past, present and future with each other. But do they have a future together?

Although, some of Regina's actions made me want to just reach in a shake her, "Girl wake up, grab onto him and don't let go!" At times my heart hurt for Josh, but he knows what he wants and nothing will stop him.

It's a fantastic story and made me smile all the way through. Of course I am a huge sucker for hot guy who also knows how to romance a woman!

[Heather in FL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice older woman/younger man story. Regina's husband died six years ago. One night while going through her nightly routine, she catches the neighbor's son masturbating. She's mesmerized, but she doesn't think he can see her. Before she can make a quick getaway, he catches up to her and cheekily suggest same time next night, to which she replies "maybe". The next night, before it can get to be that time, Josh knocks on her door to apologize for his cheeky comment. Josh is 15 years younger than Regina, but she thinks he's an "old soul" because he gets her. Things progress from there.

I thought the chemistry was great. He was such a giving lover. I thought Josh's freak-outs were a little over the top, but at the same time, I think I understood his frustration. He was good enough to screw, but not good enough to take out in public because of the age disparity that he didn't think would be an issue. Of course, it was to everyone else, but Josh really cared so much he didn't want to see it. And Regina never seemed to "claim" him, unless they were having sex. I can see how Josh might feel used.

I was glad how it all worked out in the end, and the ending was so sweet.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfying, quick read. I enjoyed this older woman/younger man romance. I didn't think it was all that far-fetched. She's only 41 and he 26. 41 doesn't seem that old to me, I guess. The only thing I couldn't really see is someone asking if she was his mom. I know many late-30s, early-40s women who don't look old enough to be the mother of a mid-20s... That seemed odd to me. Yes, Regina stresses about the age difference a lot, but I guess I could understand. She was worried what people would think of her. Josh is in grad school and he doesn't really know what he wants to do with his life. But, really, either does Regina. She doesn't really love her job, her rival got promoted over her, and then her boss offers her a promotion so they can have a relationship? It's obvious she wants something else for her life.
The sex was hot, hot, hot, and Josh was an incredibly giving and passionate lover. I loved how they talked, also. We really get to know them and watch their relationship evolve.
Hot, emotional, and quick. This one's worth reading.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was a great storyline. Older women and mature younger man, serious hearttbreak, sexiness...all put together pretty well. I did have a big problem with the whole boss thing.

She is very adamant through the story that she has no feelings for her boss because the one time they tried it, the chemistry was just awful. And yet, she won't tell Josh that, and just lets him believe that they were once lovers and only broke up because her boss got promoted. Then the boss starts coming onto her again, and suddenly she's realizing how sexy he is? A little too far fetched for me.

This was a great love story between her and Josh and should have been left at that. They already had an obstacle in her doubts about their ages so why throw in this weird boss thing? Sort of ruined it for me so I had to take out one star.

Overall, a great, steamy story with a premise you don't see too often.

[Kaetrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

B- Sexy older woman/younger man story. I would have liked to have seen more of them dealing with the conflict that the age difference meant - and it was significant. She's 41, he's 26. The epilogue glosses over a lot of the problems which was a bit unfortunate. I would rather the book had been a bit longer and those things been more fully fleshed out. Josh had been quite conflicted with what he was going to do with his doctorate, so I would have liked to have known what job he ended up taking but that's probably my OCD talking. It's sexy and fun but the age difference meant there were real issues - the scene when they went on their first date to a baseball game showed just how immature Josh could be and it did make me pause a little. Still, it wasn't like she was an old hag, 45 is the new 30 - that's my story and I'm sticking to it!



http://kaetrinsmusings.blogspot.com.a...

[Sofia Grey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This could have been written as a hackneyed and lame boy-next-door fantasy piece, but Dee Carney lifted the genre and created a stunner. Josh Smith is the perfect toy boy. Drop dead gorgeous, sexy as, intelligent - and with the hots for Regina. There was plenty of sex, but tastefully handled and with an excellent - and believeable plot, a few twists thrown in along the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, my only disappointment was that it was such a quick read. Great writing - I'll look out eagerly for more of her work.

[Rubi Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have the kindle version but there's not another listed so... yeah.

I don't normally enjoy books written in the first person, but Dee really knocked it out of the park with this one.

A short read, this older woman/younger man romance is beautifully written with a wonderful attention to detail, a deep well of emotion, and enough eroticism to make you sit back and say "whoa...". Even the ending was spectacular with its traces of realism woven through it.

[Regina]

The protagonist's name was my maiden name, so that was weird. Thankfully the guy's name ended up being Josh, not Jeff, like she thought it might be at first, since Jeff Smith is a name of a college friend of mine and that would have been super-doubly weird. Read it in one sitting, so obviously it wasn't too weird for me.

[Kerrianne Coombes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book sometime ago, but it was so good it is still fresh in my mind. i loved this love story so much. Dee wrote a story of love that felt so real, i was disapointed when it ended. I am a fan of Dee Carney, but this book, for me, was the best i have read of her work.

[Elisabeth Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The characters were really well developed and the story was entertaining and moved along at a good pace. I absolutely loved Josh and wish part of the book had been told from his perspective! I especially loved the ending!!

[Robin *loves sexy books* · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very strong 3.5. Good read, a little short. I would've liked to have seen more after they confessed their love but the epilogue was good.

[Sami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this first person account of an older woman falling for a younger man. Sweet and sexy.

[Leontine · Rating 2 out of 5]

*Help* I got disconnected after the first chapter!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Sonja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heated story with a great younger-guy-older-woman dynamic.

[Berenice BSR · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay for a short story book.
I like Josh's character, but not Gina's.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story