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Raw Talent #1
Grand Slam
California had seduced me with promises of a new life working at Los Carlos Tennis Academy. What I didn’t expect was the dark, brooding number one seed, Travis Connolly, resisting my help. He wasn’t interested in my psychology skills. Instead his attention was drawn to the edgy, sharper corners of my desires, proving that they existed, setting me challenges and driving me crazy to the point of combustion.
I’m the best tennis player in the world—officially—so why would I need a damn woman full of psychobabble to get me on form? Despite my irritation, however, I can't resist pushing Marie Sherratt’s buttons even though doing that shows her the darkest shades of my lust, the parts of me I buried deep. So I set her a challenge, one she rises to, one that has me rising too, and before long my game relies on her calling the shots, hitting the target and bending to my will. One thing was certain, being not just master of the court, but also of Marie is seriously good for my soul.
I’m the best tennis player in the world—officially—so why would I need a damn woman full of psychobabble to get me on form? Despite my irritation, however, I can't resist pushing Marie Sherratt’s buttons even though doing that shows her the darkest shades of my lust, the parts of me I buried deep. So I set her a challenge, one she rises to, one that has me rising too, and before long my game relies on her calling the shots, hitting the target and bending to my will. One thing was certain, being not just master of the court, but also of Marie is seriously good for my soul.
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 23, 2013
24 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Lily Harlem
250 books688 followersMeet your next sexy as f*ck book boyfriend!
You'll love my Alpha male heroes and the women who (try to) tame them, so dive into my vast selection of steamy romances and be prepared to stay up late into the night being seduced by kinky dukes, hot hockey players, masterful Vikings and badass bikers. (To name a few!)
And to get you started, and my way of saying 'welcome to my world', grab a FREE ebook of your choice from my website www.lilyharlem.com
You'll love my Alpha male heroes and the women who (try to) tame them, so dive into my vast selection of steamy romances and be prepared to stay up late into the night being seduced by kinky dukes, hot hockey players, masterful Vikings and badass bikers. (To name a few!)
And to get you started, and my way of saying 'welcome to my world', grab a FREE ebook of your choice from my website www.lilyharlem.com
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 31, 2014
Received a complimentary copy in exchange for a review.
I have to start by saying that tennis is not my sport but dont let that put you off. This book is hot hot hot. I mean pantie wetting hot. It does hit on the subject of bdsm so get the idea of 50 shades out your head because mr grey has nothing on Travis Connolly. The story is very well written and well thought out. It's the first time I have read anything by Lucy Felthouse and Lily Harlem and I will not hesitate to read any of their books in the future
I have to start by saying that tennis is not my sport but dont let that put you off. This book is hot hot hot. I mean pantie wetting hot. It does hit on the subject of bdsm so get the idea of 50 shades out your head because mr grey has nothing on Travis Connolly. The story is very well written and well thought out. It's the first time I have read anything by Lucy Felthouse and Lily Harlem and I will not hesitate to read any of their books in the future
September 4, 2013
As a fan of sports-themed romances I was immediately drawn to this book and the nicely flowing collaboration from Ms. Harlem and Ms. Felthouse. As both authors are known for their erotic works it was clear from the start that there was going to be lots of steamy interludes and these scenes in fact became quite frequent and veered into the realm of BDSM with some spanking and other play. The scenes never became too overly intense though so readers turned off by this kind of play will still want to take a chance on this book.
Travis is still recovering from an injury and has decided to start over in America, turning his back on the BDSM lifestyle he's found comfort in. He's felt a bit lost since coming to America with tennis his only outlet. To help him recover he's put in close quarters with the slightly staid sports psychologist Marie and it's not long before he introduces her to the BDSM lifestyle as they start mixing business with pleasure. Travis was arrogant from the start but I still found myself drawn to him and his sexiness. He can be sweet and playful one minute and domineering the next but he's still a good match to bring Marie out of her shell. He claims to be a Dom but I was never fully convinced that he was in complete control in their play. It was a very washed out form of BDSM that the two of them engaged in.
Marie was dedicated to her craft but was quickly willing to do anything to help Travis' game. To get him to heed her "psychobabble" she agrees to let him introduce her to BDSM and their on and off play soon becomes a real relationship as she blindly follows along towards their quickly rushed HEA. Marie wasn't a complete Sub in my opinion with her questioning of his commands in their watered down BDSM scenes. She was a supportive heroine, and though she enjoyed discovering the dark side, she was never completely comfortable in the Sub role.
The tennis scenes were well-written putting me in the center of action. I would've enjoyed seeing more of these vividly depicted scenes and been introduced to more players so as to broaden the scope of the story and make it more well-rounded though. Even with these small quibbles I still found this an entertaining fantasy read where you don't want to think too deeply about consequences, just enjoy the erotica ride of these two apparent opposites coming together.
3.75 STARS!!!
Travis is still recovering from an injury and has decided to start over in America, turning his back on the BDSM lifestyle he's found comfort in. He's felt a bit lost since coming to America with tennis his only outlet. To help him recover he's put in close quarters with the slightly staid sports psychologist Marie and it's not long before he introduces her to the BDSM lifestyle as they start mixing business with pleasure. Travis was arrogant from the start but I still found myself drawn to him and his sexiness. He can be sweet and playful one minute and domineering the next but he's still a good match to bring Marie out of her shell. He claims to be a Dom but I was never fully convinced that he was in complete control in their play. It was a very washed out form of BDSM that the two of them engaged in.
Marie was dedicated to her craft but was quickly willing to do anything to help Travis' game. To get him to heed her "psychobabble" she agrees to let him introduce her to BDSM and their on and off play soon becomes a real relationship as she blindly follows along towards their quickly rushed HEA. Marie wasn't a complete Sub in my opinion with her questioning of his commands in their watered down BDSM scenes. She was a supportive heroine, and though she enjoyed discovering the dark side, she was never completely comfortable in the Sub role.
The tennis scenes were well-written putting me in the center of action. I would've enjoyed seeing more of these vividly depicted scenes and been introduced to more players so as to broaden the scope of the story and make it more well-rounded though. Even with these small quibbles I still found this an entertaining fantasy read where you don't want to think too deeply about consequences, just enjoy the erotica ride of these two apparent opposites coming together.
3.75 STARS!!!
March 31, 2015
My expectations were high as this book is written by two of my most favourite authors and boy were those expectations reached and surpassed. This is a beautifully written book with exciting and interesting characters. Travis is a top tennis star but is he still on form following an accident? Marie is the no-nonsense feisty psychologist tasked with getting into his head to find out. Travis takes Marie into the deepest, darkest parts of himself and shows her what pleasure can really be. I loved the story, took the characters to my heart and fanned myself regularly at the intensely hot sexual experiences. These fantastic writers constantly impress me.
Copy kindly gifted by author for honest review.
Copy kindly gifted by author for honest review.
April 2, 2014
The upper echelons of professional tennis generally are occupied by extremely determined and forceful personalities. It is hardly a stretch to imagine some of those individuals gravitating to the dominant side of BDSM. Such is the underlying premise of the recent collaboration of authors Lily Harlem and Lucy Felthouse, Grand Slam.
Despite it delving beneath the surface of D/s play dynamics, at its core this is a romantic tale chronicling the love affair between a sports psychologist and a top tennis player. Marie has been hired to help Travis regain his focus while he recuperates from a fairly serious automobile accident. Their mutual attraction complicates the purpose of their professional alliance, as does Travis’ determination to awaken Marie’s latent sexual submissiveness.
The entirety of the book is written from a first person point of view, although the person telling the story alternates between Travis and Marie with each chapter. Whether or not this helps or hinders the narrative will depend upon the reader’s sensibilities and preferences. I was not particularly enamored of this convention, but I didn’t hate it either.
Realistically, I am not the target consumer for this book. Romantic stories don’t really appeal to me all that much, nor do I enjoy sharing characters’ inner angst while they wrestle with their hopes and fears as the mating dance unfolds. Looking at these features objectively though, I would say that they are well done, just not to my personal tastes.
For readers interested in this book for its erotic content, that too is a subjective matter. There are ample sex scenes throughout with varying levels of intensity; however, the BDSM elements are not hard core in the least, but definitely sensual and erotic. That aspect of Grand Slam would more likely resonate with outsiders and newbies than those in the lifestyle.
Despite it delving beneath the surface of D/s play dynamics, at its core this is a romantic tale chronicling the love affair between a sports psychologist and a top tennis player. Marie has been hired to help Travis regain his focus while he recuperates from a fairly serious automobile accident. Their mutual attraction complicates the purpose of their professional alliance, as does Travis’ determination to awaken Marie’s latent sexual submissiveness.
The entirety of the book is written from a first person point of view, although the person telling the story alternates between Travis and Marie with each chapter. Whether or not this helps or hinders the narrative will depend upon the reader’s sensibilities and preferences. I was not particularly enamored of this convention, but I didn’t hate it either.
Realistically, I am not the target consumer for this book. Romantic stories don’t really appeal to me all that much, nor do I enjoy sharing characters’ inner angst while they wrestle with their hopes and fears as the mating dance unfolds. Looking at these features objectively though, I would say that they are well done, just not to my personal tastes.
For readers interested in this book for its erotic content, that too is a subjective matter. There are ample sex scenes throughout with varying levels of intensity; however, the BDSM elements are not hard core in the least, but definitely sensual and erotic. That aspect of Grand Slam would more likely resonate with outsiders and newbies than those in the lifestyle.
October 26, 2013
Night Owl Review
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
Grand Slam is the first book in the Raw Talent series by Lucy Felthouse. Marie Sherratt, a psychologist, has been hired to work with Los Carlos Tennis Academy to work with Travis Connolly. Travis is not interested in talking to a psychologist, but he is interested in other things from the good doctor.
Travis is recovering from an injury in America, where he is starting over. In the months he has been here, he turned his back on the BDSM lifestyle that he embraced in England. Travis is a hot and sexy man with an arrogant attitude.
Marie has been hired to work with Travis. She agrees with Travis to learn BDSM if he works with her. Shortly after the agreement their play turns to a real relationship. Marie was slightly older than Travis. She is very inquisitive.
The chemistry between Travis and Marie is hot. The sex scenes were sizzling. My main issue is the BDSM scenes seemed water down by both Marie’s consistent questioning of Travis’s commands and Travis was not really convincing as a Dom. He came across as a man who liked to dabble in the lifestyle.
Overall, this was an interesting story one that should appeal to both vanilla readers and BDSM readers. While I found the idea of Marie being Travis’s psychologist a bit off because in the real world I would think she would be facing some sort of disciplinary actions. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
Original Review Published here: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Rev...
Grand Slam is the first book in the Raw Talent series by Lucy Felthouse. Marie Sherratt, a psychologist, has been hired to work with Los Carlos Tennis Academy to work with Travis Connolly. Travis is not interested in talking to a psychologist, but he is interested in other things from the good doctor.
Travis is recovering from an injury in America, where he is starting over. In the months he has been here, he turned his back on the BDSM lifestyle that he embraced in England. Travis is a hot and sexy man with an arrogant attitude.
Marie has been hired to work with Travis. She agrees with Travis to learn BDSM if he works with her. Shortly after the agreement their play turns to a real relationship. Marie was slightly older than Travis. She is very inquisitive.
The chemistry between Travis and Marie is hot. The sex scenes were sizzling. My main issue is the BDSM scenes seemed water down by both Marie’s consistent questioning of Travis’s commands and Travis was not really convincing as a Dom. He came across as a man who liked to dabble in the lifestyle.
Overall, this was an interesting story one that should appeal to both vanilla readers and BDSM readers. While I found the idea of Marie being Travis’s psychologist a bit off because in the real world I would think she would be facing some sort of disciplinary actions. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
October 15, 2013
Grand Slam by Lucy Felthouse & Lily Harlem
First of all I did not want to put this book down to go to bed!
Both Lucy and Lily write wonderful books but together it is deliciously sexy.
This story is about a professional tennis player (Travis) that had been injured and is trying to get back to top physical shape so he can compete again. He is originally from the UK but has come to America to do his therapy. He didn’t realize he would have to have therapy for his body and mind. Marie has also been enlisted to come to America from the UK to be the resident shrink at the Los Carlos Tennis Academy.
When Travis lived in the UK he was living the life. He was a top ranked tennis player who liked to do naughty things. Now that he has moved to
America he has become a loner and pretty much became celibate. Well until Marie came around.
Marie has always loved tennis and she has always had the hots for Travis. Who hasn’t let’s put it that way. He is a tennis stud. Well when she finds out she gets to council him
she is not sure how to handle herself. Well it turns out she didn’t need to handle herself because Travis would do that for her. Marie is in for the ride of her life and she will not be disappointed! This book was very well written and HIGHLY recommended.
If you haven’t read any of their books check out this website.
http://thebritbabes.blogspot.co.uk/
“I received this book as a review copy in return for an honest review”
First of all I did not want to put this book down to go to bed!
Both Lucy and Lily write wonderful books but together it is deliciously sexy.
This story is about a professional tennis player (Travis) that had been injured and is trying to get back to top physical shape so he can compete again. He is originally from the UK but has come to America to do his therapy. He didn’t realize he would have to have therapy for his body and mind. Marie has also been enlisted to come to America from the UK to be the resident shrink at the Los Carlos Tennis Academy.
When Travis lived in the UK he was living the life. He was a top ranked tennis player who liked to do naughty things. Now that he has moved to
America he has become a loner and pretty much became celibate. Well until Marie came around.
Marie has always loved tennis and she has always had the hots for Travis. Who hasn’t let’s put it that way. He is a tennis stud. Well when she finds out she gets to council him
she is not sure how to handle herself. Well it turns out she didn’t need to handle herself because Travis would do that for her. Marie is in for the ride of her life and she will not be disappointed! This book was very well written and HIGHLY recommended.
If you haven’t read any of their books check out this website.
http://thebritbabes.blogspot.co.uk/
“I received this book as a review copy in return for an honest review”
September 17, 2013
I received this book as a review copy in return for an honest review
Lucy and Lily's writing styles really compliment each other. The book gels really well, which is a challenge when you're writing with another author. Marie and Travis are interesting characters who engage in some seriously sexy scenes with a liberal dose of dominance and submission and a bit of spanking.
My only criticism is tha I would have loved to have read more tennis match scenes,sometimes it was hard to tell it was about tennis at all. However, that's a relatively small niggle. The characters are hot, the story intriguing and satisfying. If you enjoy a bit of sport sprinkled fiction with hot BDSM scenes then give Grand Slam a try.
Lucy and Lily's writing styles really compliment each other. The book gels really well, which is a challenge when you're writing with another author. Marie and Travis are interesting characters who engage in some seriously sexy scenes with a liberal dose of dominance and submission and a bit of spanking.
My only criticism is tha I would have loved to have read more tennis match scenes,sometimes it was hard to tell it was about tennis at all. However, that's a relatively small niggle. The characters are hot, the story intriguing and satisfying. If you enjoy a bit of sport sprinkled fiction with hot BDSM scenes then give Grand Slam a try.
August 12, 2016
Totally hot scenes in this book! While the actual story portion could have been better, the scenes and the way the main characters interacted made up for that. I had fun trying to figure out which author wrote which chapter, or even which section of a chapter, so it made my reading experience that much more enjoyable. I truly love reading both Lucy Felthouse and Lily Harlem novels, and look forward to reading more!
July 16, 2014
Game, Set and Match !! I wont be able to watch the tennis again without wondering what is going through their heads!!!
Great read, great characters. It was refreshing to finally have a female lead closer to my age than my daughters!!
Even the passages describing the tennis games were lovingly written - had the old adrenaline pumping - or maybe that the beautifully written love scenes!!
Highly reccommened read!
Great read, great characters. It was refreshing to finally have a female lead closer to my age than my daughters!!
Even the passages describing the tennis games were lovingly written - had the old adrenaline pumping - or maybe that the beautifully written love scenes!!
Highly reccommened read!
August 3, 2017
Completely enjoyed this read!
The author duo seamlessly crafted this incredible romance, in my hue opinion. If I'd found spots where one voice was more prevalent than the other I would not have been surprised as that often happens in co-written works... But not in this one.
Stimulating, suspenseful, seductive the whole way from beginning to end.
Looking forward to more in the Grand Slam series! Nicely done!
The author duo seamlessly crafted this incredible romance, in my hue opinion. If I'd found spots where one voice was more prevalent than the other I would not have been surprised as that often happens in co-written works... But not in this one.
Stimulating, suspenseful, seductive the whole way from beginning to end.
Looking forward to more in the Grand Slam series! Nicely done!
July 2, 2016
Horrible. Just horrible. I wish there was a 0.5 star rating option because that would be more fitting for this book. The whole premise of this book is weak. The heroine appalling. The BDSM aspect? What a joke, seriously.
July 13, 2014
Full review can be seen on my blog http://wp.me/p4LR6R-1Ib
August 10, 2019
Yet again, another fabulous read by two fabulous authors! I love Lily and Lucy’s books, so combining the two is bound to be a recipe for success.
Grand Slam was a fairly quick read, and I finished the book in a couple of days. It was a slow burn as far as the BDSM side of things is concerned, with the main characters building up to a sizzling climax. But, this was perfect considering the inexperience of one character. It kept it natural and realistic unlike some other stories which dive straight into the kink.
Highly recommend this title for anyone who enjoys a hot romance. Ideal book for those who have never read a BDSM story before.
Grand Slam was a fairly quick read, and I finished the book in a couple of days. It was a slow burn as far as the BDSM side of things is concerned, with the main characters building up to a sizzling climax. But, this was perfect considering the inexperience of one character. It kept it natural and realistic unlike some other stories which dive straight into the kink.
Highly recommend this title for anyone who enjoys a hot romance. Ideal book for those who have never read a BDSM story before.
July 17, 2020
Ok
I was a little disappointed in this book. I have to say that I hate, absolutely hate when stories (bdsm or otherwise) where the man becomes possessive to such a ridiculous point that they'd hurt others and make it impossible for the woman to speak or look at other men without them turning into an jerk. Isn't bdsm supposed to be about trust? I was also disappointed with the bdsm aspect. For someone who's an experienced dom with a newby I would think they would work up the body with spanks etc from softer to harder instead of starting off hard. The tennis part was great.
I was a little disappointed in this book. I have to say that I hate, absolutely hate when stories (bdsm or otherwise) where the man becomes possessive to such a ridiculous point that they'd hurt others and make it impossible for the woman to speak or look at other men without them turning into an jerk. Isn't bdsm supposed to be about trust? I was also disappointed with the bdsm aspect. For someone who's an experienced dom with a newby I would think they would work up the body with spanks etc from softer to harder instead of starting off hard. The tennis part was great.
July 13, 2020
I struggled so hard to finish this book. I think I would have liked it if the h had been in any other career. And they were just stupid about how they went about things, the places they got together.. the timing.. everything. The H constantly said one thing and then did another.. I just found the whole situation irritating and wrong.
March 21, 2020
Hot hot hot
There is plenty of heat in this book, enough to melt a tennis ball or two. The dynamic relationship between these two and how much chemistry they have is super to read about. You see both characters grow as they open their hearts to each other.
There is plenty of heat in this book, enough to melt a tennis ball or two. The dynamic relationship between these two and how much chemistry they have is super to read about. You see both characters grow as they open their hearts to each other.
December 5, 2017
Finished - but not my thing.
July 16, 2020
Exciting
A wonderfully written bdsm plus romance to the max. I truly enjoyed this since I do love the lifestyle. Awesome
A wonderfully written bdsm plus romance to the max. I truly enjoyed this since I do love the lifestyle. Awesome
March 30, 2023
Read on Radish. What an awesome story! Loved the visualizations! Marie and Travis are an incredible pair working towards perfection.
June 11, 2024
Enjoyable!
Good read. I liked the characters and was rooting for them. Fun, sexy times between these two as they worked out a relationship.
Good read. I liked the characters and was rooting for them. Fun, sexy times between these two as they worked out a relationship.
September 13, 2020
Okay story and it is well paced, but it just didn’t really hook me overall.
January 21, 2015
In honor of the Australian Open being on right now, I thought that it is time for me to write a review of Grand Slam. I've, of course, already done a video review of the book which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WinQo...
It is not often that I give a book a 5 star rating. Perhaps 2 or 3 a year, 4 or 5 at most. I'm a tough scorer!
The thing I liked about Grand Slam was that it explored the BDSM world without being overwhelming and Lily managed to make it sexy and tasteful, and perhaps even something I might want to explore with the right partner - that right there is powerful writing. Of course, that's just a fancy of mine and not something that I will actually do, but reading this did make me entertain the thought.
I enjoyed the dynamics between Travis and Marie. His attraction to her, his dominance, and her submission. The whole sexual aspect of their relationship was so well done, and there were just lots of sexy times in the book.
I won't repeat the other things I've said about this book that I've mentioned in the video, but I want to focus on the tennis. I love tennis and it is one of my favorite games to watch either live or on TV. I don't actually watch any other sport. This book brought to life a very private side of a world class tennis player for me and it certainly changed the way I looked at the game when I watch Federer or Nadal play. :-) There's just all sorts of sexiness that I imagine now when I watch tennis.
On top of that, I enjoyed Lily's descriptions of the game, the psychology of a top tennis player and what goes into prepping for a game. I'm sure that real top tennis players perhaps don't prep quite the way Travis does, but then you never know ...
I highly recommend this book.
It is not often that I give a book a 5 star rating. Perhaps 2 or 3 a year, 4 or 5 at most. I'm a tough scorer!
The thing I liked about Grand Slam was that it explored the BDSM world without being overwhelming and Lily managed to make it sexy and tasteful, and perhaps even something I might want to explore with the right partner - that right there is powerful writing. Of course, that's just a fancy of mine and not something that I will actually do, but reading this did make me entertain the thought.
I enjoyed the dynamics between Travis and Marie. His attraction to her, his dominance, and her submission. The whole sexual aspect of their relationship was so well done, and there were just lots of sexy times in the book.
I won't repeat the other things I've said about this book that I've mentioned in the video, but I want to focus on the tennis. I love tennis and it is one of my favorite games to watch either live or on TV. I don't actually watch any other sport. This book brought to life a very private side of a world class tennis player for me and it certainly changed the way I looked at the game when I watch Federer or Nadal play. :-) There's just all sorts of sexiness that I imagine now when I watch tennis.
On top of that, I enjoyed Lily's descriptions of the game, the psychology of a top tennis player and what goes into prepping for a game. I'm sure that real top tennis players perhaps don't prep quite the way Travis does, but then you never know ...
I highly recommend this book.
August 29, 2013
The writing was good, the author has style, editing was better than many I have recently read, but still had a few very big, very obvious mistakes. The story did not pull off what the book claimed to be. BSMD?... skimmed it, but barely made the jump from vanilla. Travis was not a convincing Dom, more like a novice trying it out. The whole story is just about spanking and that really as far as they take it, with the exception of a short scene thrown in toward the end that really didn't hit the level of it classification. The story was flat and really, nothing much happened. This would be a good intro into the genre, without much more than it jotted down just for the sake of the genre. There's not much more there. It came as a recommendation, but I would not return the favor. Did nothing for me.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews