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Definitely Naughty
Single Gal Seeks Naughty Inspiration
Aubrey Hayes @windowUndresser
Window dressing at Le Muse lingerie = best job ever. LOVE. But must design The Ultimate Window Display Of Hot Sex before Xmas. #panic 24h
A Hot Guys Trading Card just fell from the sky. Could this beautiful piece of man be my muse? It's raining men. #hallelujah 23h
OMFG, Detective Liam Flynn even hotter in person. May explode into a million pieces of lusty lady bits. #HandcuffMeNow 15h
It's on. Have convinced the über-hot cop to be my naughty muse until Xmas. Two weeks of sex, here I come! *ahem* 14h
Muse Plan already working. Creative juices flowing. And Detective Liam Hotness is the best "inspiration" ever. Owe the Fates BIG time. 8h
But I only have him until Christmas. Keep it together, Aubreyand DON'T fall for him. #SexNotLove 3m
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
22 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
About the author
Jo Leigh
273 books93 followersaka Samantha Beckett
Jolie Kramer began her career in 1975 as a reader in the Comedy Development department for 20th-Century Fox. She left Fox in 1977 to go on location with THE DEER HUNTER. She then worked as an auditor, associate producer and producer on such projects as WHEN SHE SAYS NO for CBS, BEULAH LAND for NBC, GREAT AMERICAN TRAFFIC JAM for NBC and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR for Jozak Productions. In 1987 she became head of development for the McCarran Film Corp., overseeing a roster of twelve feature films. As a screen writer, she’s had a series idea purchased by Cinemax, and has worked as a script consultant on more than 50 screenplays. Currently, her screenplay APACHE TEARS was optioned by Northern Lights Productions in Canada.
Jo Leigh's first Silhouette novel, SUSPECT, was awarded BEST FIRST SERIES BOOK by Romantic Times Magazine, garnered the 1994 ROMANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR award from Pike’s Peak RWA, and was a finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL OF 1994 by Romance Writers of America. Her first Temptation novel, ONE WICKED NIGHT was a finalist for BEST SHORT CONTEMPORARY NOVEL OF 1998 by Romance Writers of America. She was invited to write one of the launch books for the Harlequin imprint, Blaze, with her book GOING FOR IT! Her 2006 Blaze RELENTLESS was a RITA finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE.
She also ghost-wrote GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL – THE ANNA NICOLE SMITH STORY for Barricade Books.
Jo teaches writing at workshops across the country and on-line, and is a frequent guest speaker at writing conferences. Her tape on Advanced Plotting from the Dallas Romance Writers of America conference is the best selling tape in RWA’s history.
Jo lives in an incredibly rural area of Utah where her many rescue dogs have room to run and play and her rescue cats are determined to win the International Shedding Award. She spends an inordinate amount of time reading about how the brain works, listening to music and trying not to kill the basil.
Jo's husband died of cancer on 13 June 2008, three years after they married, and whose medical bills are astronomical. Authors, editors, and bloggers have all donated a mess of items, from books to critiques to mentoring sessions to offer an item for the auction to benefit author Jo Leigh.
Jolie Kramer began her career in 1975 as a reader in the Comedy Development department for 20th-Century Fox. She left Fox in 1977 to go on location with THE DEER HUNTER. She then worked as an auditor, associate producer and producer on such projects as WHEN SHE SAYS NO for CBS, BEULAH LAND for NBC, GREAT AMERICAN TRAFFIC JAM for NBC and CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR for Jozak Productions. In 1987 she became head of development for the McCarran Film Corp., overseeing a roster of twelve feature films. As a screen writer, she’s had a series idea purchased by Cinemax, and has worked as a script consultant on more than 50 screenplays. Currently, her screenplay APACHE TEARS was optioned by Northern Lights Productions in Canada.
Jo Leigh's first Silhouette novel, SUSPECT, was awarded BEST FIRST SERIES BOOK by Romantic Times Magazine, garnered the 1994 ROMANCE WRITER OF THE YEAR award from Pike’s Peak RWA, and was a finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE NOVEL OF 1994 by Romance Writers of America. Her first Temptation novel, ONE WICKED NIGHT was a finalist for BEST SHORT CONTEMPORARY NOVEL OF 1998 by Romance Writers of America. She was invited to write one of the launch books for the Harlequin imprint, Blaze, with her book GOING FOR IT! Her 2006 Blaze RELENTLESS was a RITA finalist for BEST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE.
She also ghost-wrote GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL DOLL – THE ANNA NICOLE SMITH STORY for Barricade Books.
Jo teaches writing at workshops across the country and on-line, and is a frequent guest speaker at writing conferences. Her tape on Advanced Plotting from the Dallas Romance Writers of America conference is the best selling tape in RWA’s history.
Jo lives in an incredibly rural area of Utah where her many rescue dogs have room to run and play and her rescue cats are determined to win the International Shedding Award. She spends an inordinate amount of time reading about how the brain works, listening to music and trying not to kill the basil.
Jo's husband died of cancer on 13 June 2008, three years after they married, and whose medical bills are astronomical. Authors, editors, and bloggers have all donated a mess of items, from books to critiques to mentoring sessions to offer an item for the auction to benefit author Jo Leigh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
November 19, 2013
ARC provided by publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.
Aubrey Hayes has a few weeks before her life will be over... well, not literally. But she needs to come up with an idea for a window display in the designer sexy lingerie shop she's been contracted to work, for the Holidays or she will be ruined. Then inspiration right into her hand in the form of a baseball-like card for a dream date. That dream date being in the form the hunky Detective Liam Flynn.
When Liam receives a call from Aubrey, he's not sure if his fellow officers are playing a joke on him or if his cousin who put him up for the date group went against her word when she said no one would see the card, and set him up anyway. Either way, Aubrey's voice intrigues him and he agrees to meet her for a drink. He's immediately attracted to her curvy hips and small waist, curly hair and confident ways, though he thinks she just might be a kook. Audrey knows Liam is an eleven to her seven, but that's not going to stop her from having fun with him.
Aubrey tells Liam that she believes his card, which landed in her hand after a gust of wind, was meant to be his muse. She proposes they have lots of sex for the next three weeks, which would spark her creativity and then go their separate ways. And boy do they... have lots of sex that is!
As time goes along, they get to know each other better and they both get more out of it then they bargained for. Will Aubrey come through with her window design, will she let Liam get closer to her than she ever thought? You will just have to read to find out.
I thought it was cute and funny. There were places that made me laugh so hard, I could barely breath. I loved Aubrey's outspokenness, her creativity, her drive and ambition. She was kooky and smart all at the same time. Liam was almost too driven, but being with Aubrey made him lighten up to the place that his fellow officers even started to like him more.
But, the story ended too abruptly. Not that any of it needed to drag on, it just felt like the ending was an afterthought. I liked it, which is why I'm giving it three stars, but it had so much more potential.
November 21, 2016
Okay, here's the thing. I'm in the mood for contemporary romance, something with good banter and chemistry between the main characters. Fun and flirty and sexy. I've been starting and DNFing quite a lot in my search for whatever is going to quench my craving and randomly added a bunch of books from my to-read list to my Kindle.
This was one of them. And I'm glad I did. It was a quick, little read. Hot and fun without being too filled with Drama. I really liked Aubrey - the fact that she's so forward was just plain fun to read. She didn't always feel as confident as she projected, which I felt was realistic, but she didn't let that stop her either. It made me relate to her a lot.
Liam Flynn (not Hemsworth - who is who I kept picturing, despite the blue-eye descriptor) was definitely the sexy-times that Aubrey was looking for. I thought it was awesome that he was good at his job (police detective), but needed Aubrey's confidence and care in order to get out from under the stigma that he was operating under at work.
What was best about their relationship though was how organic it felt. Despite the set-up. I still don't understand this dating-trading-card-thing, or why/how his card fell out of the Manhattan night sky into Aubrey's hand, but if I shrug those things off and just have fun, it's so enjoyable.
Also, I found myself chuckling more than once when the narration seemed to poke fun at some of the common themes that happen in romance novels. Not that it was demeaning or putting them down, but sort of a tongue-in-cheek joke towards itself. I like when a book can do that, and (even better) when it makes sense for the characters.
One thing I will say, after having read several of these 'Cosmo Red-Hot Reads' novellas is that they always seem to catch me off guard with how much sex they contain. They're sexy and hot, while still kind of leaving a mystery/allure to the smexy-times. Maybe that's the word count or something else, but when their first sexual interaction faded to black I was a little surprised. Not disappointed, because I tend to skim most sex scenes (though I didn't these, surprisingly), but surprised. I'm not even sure what to expect when I pick one of these up, I keep thinking they should be erotica, but I can never quite put them in that category. At the same time, they're just hot romance....*shrugs*
They sure are fun to read though.
This was one of them. And I'm glad I did. It was a quick, little read. Hot and fun without being too filled with Drama. I really liked Aubrey - the fact that she's so forward was just plain fun to read. She didn't always feel as confident as she projected, which I felt was realistic, but she didn't let that stop her either. It made me relate to her a lot.
Liam Flynn (not Hemsworth - who is who I kept picturing, despite the blue-eye descriptor) was definitely the sexy-times that Aubrey was looking for. I thought it was awesome that he was good at his job (police detective), but needed Aubrey's confidence and care in order to get out from under the stigma that he was operating under at work.
What was best about their relationship though was how organic it felt. Despite the set-up. I still don't understand this dating-trading-card-thing, or why/how his card fell out of the Manhattan night sky into Aubrey's hand, but if I shrug those things off and just have fun, it's so enjoyable.
Also, I found myself chuckling more than once when the narration seemed to poke fun at some of the common themes that happen in romance novels. Not that it was demeaning or putting them down, but sort of a tongue-in-cheek joke towards itself. I like when a book can do that, and (even better) when it makes sense for the characters.
One thing I will say, after having read several of these 'Cosmo Red-Hot Reads' novellas is that they always seem to catch me off guard with how much sex they contain. They're sexy and hot, while still kind of leaving a mystery/allure to the smexy-times. Maybe that's the word count or something else, but when their first sexual interaction faded to black I was a little surprised. Not disappointed, because I tend to skim most sex scenes (though I didn't these, surprisingly), but surprised. I'm not even sure what to expect when I pick one of these up, I keep thinking they should be erotica, but I can never quite put them in that category. At the same time, they're just hot romance....*shrugs*
They sure are fun to read though.
January 25, 2014
This story had a really interesting and unique setup, but unfortunately, never was really able to grab my attention. At just a little over 100 pages, I found myself really struggling to finish it, not to mention that it took me three days to get through.
The heroine was spunky and witty, which I loved. She was easy to like, but her erratic ways and character made for a very difficult read. I felt like I was all over the place! The hero, although exceptionally good-looking, was B O R I N G. Good grief, I could never see the attraction to this guy because he was just a total bore.
Overall, I liked the plot, and the unique backstory, but overall the story just wasn't it for me. 2 1/2 stars.
***Provided by Netgalley***
The heroine was spunky and witty, which I loved. She was easy to like, but her erratic ways and character made for a very difficult read. I felt like I was all over the place! The hero, although exceptionally good-looking, was B O R I N G. Good grief, I could never see the attraction to this guy because he was just a total bore.
Overall, I liked the plot, and the unique backstory, but overall the story just wasn't it for me. 2 1/2 stars.
***Provided by Netgalley***
January 17, 2018
Well, being that this is a Cosmo hot read-- I figured this would be a pretty juicy book. I mean it was okay but not fantastic. This is a fast paced romance that starts off in a very quirky and unconventional way. Cannot say I loved nor hated the way Aubrey sets up her relationship with Liam... it was different is all I can really say.
I thought Aubrey started off very strong and confident but somewhere towards the end she turned into a scared girl. I mean she contacted Liam and asked to have a no strings sex agreement because she believed he was her muse and then broke it off because she started to panic. It was almost like her personality from Chapter 1 to the end totally changed...
I thought Aubrey started off very strong and confident but somewhere towards the end she turned into a scared girl. I mean she contacted Liam and asked to have a no strings sex agreement because she believed he was her muse and then broke it off because she started to panic. It was almost like her personality from Chapter 1 to the end totally changed...
November 28, 2018
A pretty good story with an interesting pairing and plot problem to solve. I didn't buy that she had to come up with her winning and pulling-out-all-the-stops design by a week out, and then execute it. Her boss must have better connections than the president. I think the story was meant to be a quick read, so some potentially interesting and more erotic/explicit scenes were merely mentioned and didn't actually happen in the story. If this was intended to be erotica it missed the mark by a bit. Still, it was a nice book-- several scenes could have happened with more stress and nastier thoughts, but even the voicemail was kinda cute.
December 2, 2017
The idea for this book was ok but it kinda dragged on.
December 29, 2018
2.5 - 3. It's fine. Abrupt ending.
December 13, 2015
I loved this book.
The description makes is sound like some stupid story all about hipsters obsessed with social media. That's why I'd avoided this book. But fyi, this is not the case at all. In fact, there's even a mention of the characters not paying much attention to social media, being oblivious to memes. There's maybe one mention of the characters texting each other. So not sure what all that in the blurb is about other than a desperate attempt to attract a younger, "hipper" sort of reader. And if that's the sort of person they attracted - they probably disappointed a lot of people.
Great story. Loved the characters so much. Aubrey is on deadline, trying to put together a window display for a lingerie story on Broadway in New York City. It has to be great, her career depends on it. She's overwhelmingly stressed out, steps outside and a "hot guy" trading card lands in her hand. It has been part of some sort of dating club in which friends submitting photos and info of guys they trusted. Aubrey is certain this is fate, a gift from the gods, sending her a muse. So she calls up the guy and arranges a date.
Liam is a police detective, someone who takes his job very seriously. At first, he thinks this is a joke - his cousin Mary had submitted his info for the card, but then promised to destroy it. Then he thinks maybe Aubrey is a little insane. But he's also very intrigued by her and very attracted to her. So he goes along with her plan.
After some crazy hot sex at his place, he can't stop thinking about her. The two begin spending more and more time together, as Aubrey continues to stress about the window display. What was supposed to be a few nights of fun, inspirational sex, begins to turn into something much more than either of them expected. This freaks Aubrey out. She's just a window dresser who didn't even get her college degree. She has a tendency to run when things get serious (hence the lack of a degree.) She's terrified by her feelings for Liam. He's serious, with big plans for advancing his career and Aubrey doesn't think she fits in with those plans.
This couple is so great and so sweet and so real. I liked that Aubrey was so bold and willing to go after what she wanted, and yet was real enough to fall apart when she wasn't sure she could handle having what she wanted. And Liam, if only there were guys in the real world who were like this. Attractive, sexy, serious, feminist, completely okay with being with a strong woman and okay with letting his date - who did ask him out on the date - pay for the drinks and meal, not an insecure ass who constantly needs to prove his masculinity. He wants to help, but also knows when to step back.
If you want a sexy, fun, holiday read, also with a nice story about a couple having to come to terms with some very real, somewhat scary feelings, I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley.
The description makes is sound like some stupid story all about hipsters obsessed with social media. That's why I'd avoided this book. But fyi, this is not the case at all. In fact, there's even a mention of the characters not paying much attention to social media, being oblivious to memes. There's maybe one mention of the characters texting each other. So not sure what all that in the blurb is about other than a desperate attempt to attract a younger, "hipper" sort of reader. And if that's the sort of person they attracted - they probably disappointed a lot of people.
Great story. Loved the characters so much. Aubrey is on deadline, trying to put together a window display for a lingerie story on Broadway in New York City. It has to be great, her career depends on it. She's overwhelmingly stressed out, steps outside and a "hot guy" trading card lands in her hand. It has been part of some sort of dating club in which friends submitting photos and info of guys they trusted. Aubrey is certain this is fate, a gift from the gods, sending her a muse. So she calls up the guy and arranges a date.
Liam is a police detective, someone who takes his job very seriously. At first, he thinks this is a joke - his cousin Mary had submitted his info for the card, but then promised to destroy it. Then he thinks maybe Aubrey is a little insane. But he's also very intrigued by her and very attracted to her. So he goes along with her plan.
After some crazy hot sex at his place, he can't stop thinking about her. The two begin spending more and more time together, as Aubrey continues to stress about the window display. What was supposed to be a few nights of fun, inspirational sex, begins to turn into something much more than either of them expected. This freaks Aubrey out. She's just a window dresser who didn't even get her college degree. She has a tendency to run when things get serious (hence the lack of a degree.) She's terrified by her feelings for Liam. He's serious, with big plans for advancing his career and Aubrey doesn't think she fits in with those plans.
This couple is so great and so sweet and so real. I liked that Aubrey was so bold and willing to go after what she wanted, and yet was real enough to fall apart when she wasn't sure she could handle having what she wanted. And Liam, if only there were guys in the real world who were like this. Attractive, sexy, serious, feminist, completely okay with being with a strong woman and okay with letting his date - who did ask him out on the date - pay for the drinks and meal, not an insecure ass who constantly needs to prove his masculinity. He wants to help, but also knows when to step back.
If you want a sexy, fun, holiday read, also with a nice story about a couple having to come to terms with some very real, somewhat scary feelings, I highly recommend this book.
I received a copy of this via NetGalley.
July 21, 2016
*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
"Definitely Naughty" was a nice surprise. I had already read another one of the author's books in early 2013 and I liked it a lot, and with this novella I have confirmed Jo Leigh as an author I'm going to start being attentive about.
Aubrey Hayes is starting to get desperate. Hired to design the Christmas window display of the lingerie shop Le Muse, Aubrey is getting out of time and has no ideas... Until one day a trading card literally falls from the sky. But it's not any trading card, it belongs to the Hot Guys Trading Card collection, one that features gorgeous men, with their characteristics, contacts, likes and what they are looking for (marry, date or one-night stand). Obviously Aubrey takes it as a signal from above (she is in front of Le Muse, after all) and assumes that man is supposed to be her inspiring muse.
The man on the card is Liam Flynn, a New York City police detective and a complete workaholic, who was convinced all the trading cards featuring him had been destroyed. So, when he is contacted by Aubrey, he decides to meet with her with the intention of recovering the trading card. But Aubrey makes him an offer he can't refuse: to be her inspiring muse until Christmas Eve (when the window display has to be finished), at which time she will give him the trading card. And what exactly is an inspiring muse supposed to do? Lots and lots of hot sex, of course!
Aubrey immediately starts feeling inspired but, as the deadline approaches, her time with Liam is also numbered... As it usually happens, what started as a simple agreement, a merely sexual relation with a deadline, ends up becoming so much more than that. And Aubrey knows her heart will be broken this Christmas...
But also Liam seems to have been inspired by Aubrey and, for the first time, his priority is not his job. Aubrey seems determined to fulfil her part of the aggreement, but can Liam keep his?
A small story, and a fun, exciting, full of Christmas spirit and fast read. Very good!
"Definitely Naughty" was a nice surprise. I had already read another one of the author's books in early 2013 and I liked it a lot, and with this novella I have confirmed Jo Leigh as an author I'm going to start being attentive about.
Aubrey Hayes is starting to get desperate. Hired to design the Christmas window display of the lingerie shop Le Muse, Aubrey is getting out of time and has no ideas... Until one day a trading card literally falls from the sky. But it's not any trading card, it belongs to the Hot Guys Trading Card collection, one that features gorgeous men, with their characteristics, contacts, likes and what they are looking for (marry, date or one-night stand). Obviously Aubrey takes it as a signal from above (she is in front of Le Muse, after all) and assumes that man is supposed to be her inspiring muse.
The man on the card is Liam Flynn, a New York City police detective and a complete workaholic, who was convinced all the trading cards featuring him had been destroyed. So, when he is contacted by Aubrey, he decides to meet with her with the intention of recovering the trading card. But Aubrey makes him an offer he can't refuse: to be her inspiring muse until Christmas Eve (when the window display has to be finished), at which time she will give him the trading card. And what exactly is an inspiring muse supposed to do? Lots and lots of hot sex, of course!
Aubrey immediately starts feeling inspired but, as the deadline approaches, her time with Liam is also numbered... As it usually happens, what started as a simple agreement, a merely sexual relation with a deadline, ends up becoming so much more than that. And Aubrey knows her heart will be broken this Christmas...
But also Liam seems to have been inspired by Aubrey and, for the first time, his priority is not his job. Aubrey seems determined to fulfil her part of the aggreement, but can Liam keep his?
A small story, and a fun, exciting, full of Christmas spirit and fast read. Very good!
December 26, 2013
Aubrey is uninspired and it is definitely not the right moment to lose her muse. She has a big display for Christmas Eve Eve and is willing to go to great lengths to get her muse back. As luck may have it, her inspiration lands on her hands in the form of a Hot Guys Trading card, featuring Liam Flynn.
Liam is a loner focusing on his career as a Detective for the NYPD. When a stranger calls him and tells him about the card she has in her possession his only motive for seeing her is to get the card back and make sure the woman is not a stalker. To his surprise, he is as drawn to her as he is weary. Of course, he can't resist but take advantage of Aubrey's offer. Who's he to deny an artist her muse?
The first thing that caught my attention was the concept behind the story and although the author did a great job of executing it I think that some elements got lost along the way. I wish Liam and Aubrey's connection would have been explored more on the page. Most of their interactions took place off page, so I couldn't really see if their initial connection had anything to build upon. What I did get to experience was cute, but not something that would lead me to believe that they had something lasting.
Their chemistry was good though and that coupled with their easy camaraderie kept me interested in their story. They exchanged some emotion-filled moments and some tender ones too, which I appreciated. I just wish I could have gotten a little bit more of their story as individuals so that I could connect to them fully and feel invested in their relationship.
So all in all, a good romantic read.
*I received this title from the publisher in exchange of my honest opinion.
Liam is a loner focusing on his career as a Detective for the NYPD. When a stranger calls him and tells him about the card she has in her possession his only motive for seeing her is to get the card back and make sure the woman is not a stalker. To his surprise, he is as drawn to her as he is weary. Of course, he can't resist but take advantage of Aubrey's offer. Who's he to deny an artist her muse?
The first thing that caught my attention was the concept behind the story and although the author did a great job of executing it I think that some elements got lost along the way. I wish Liam and Aubrey's connection would have been explored more on the page. Most of their interactions took place off page, so I couldn't really see if their initial connection had anything to build upon. What I did get to experience was cute, but not something that would lead me to believe that they had something lasting.
Their chemistry was good though and that coupled with their easy camaraderie kept me interested in their story. They exchanged some emotion-filled moments and some tender ones too, which I appreciated. I just wish I could have gotten a little bit more of their story as individuals so that I could connect to them fully and feel invested in their relationship.
So all in all, a good romantic read.
*I received this title from the publisher in exchange of my honest opinion.
December 19, 2013
Confession time. When I picked this book from Netgalley, it was because between the cover and the "Cosmo Red Hot Reads" emblazoned on said cover... I thought it would be something in the erotica genre.
It wasn't.
MISLEADING.
So I had to adjust my expectations, so that I wasn't disappointed. Because when you go into a book expecting erotic scenes and you don't get them - disappointment definitely arises.
I took a step back and looked at it through the lens of romance instead of erotica and then suddenly everything was much better.
Aubrey is the window designer for Le Muse lingerie store (in Manhattan) - and it's Christmas time. This window is a big fucking deal. She's freaking out and doesn't have a single piece of inspiration for the scene when a Hot Guys Trading Card falls from the sky literally into her hand. And suddenly, inspiration strikes - this man must be her muse! So she calls him up and proposes a deal: all the sex he wants until Christmas so that she can be inspired.
What guy in his right mind would turn that down?
Detective Liam Flynn almost does.
But he agrees and I do have to admit - for a book that's not erotica, the two of them do get a bit steamy.
But there's more than passion between the sheets for these two - and it gets to be a little too much for Aubrey. It's totally cliche but what good would a romance be if the hero or heroine didn't tuck tail and run so that we could enjoy a good session of make-up sex at the end?
It wasn't.
MISLEADING.
So I had to adjust my expectations, so that I wasn't disappointed. Because when you go into a book expecting erotic scenes and you don't get them - disappointment definitely arises.
I took a step back and looked at it through the lens of romance instead of erotica and then suddenly everything was much better.
Aubrey is the window designer for Le Muse lingerie store (in Manhattan) - and it's Christmas time. This window is a big fucking deal. She's freaking out and doesn't have a single piece of inspiration for the scene when a Hot Guys Trading Card falls from the sky literally into her hand. And suddenly, inspiration strikes - this man must be her muse! So she calls him up and proposes a deal: all the sex he wants until Christmas so that she can be inspired.
“I mean, all I really need from you is lots and lots of sex.”
His next words vanished from his mind. As did most of his working brain cells. “What’s that you say?”
What guy in his right mind would turn that down?
Detective Liam Flynn almost does.
But he agrees and I do have to admit - for a book that's not erotica, the two of them do get a bit steamy.
But there's more than passion between the sheets for these two - and it gets to be a little too much for Aubrey. It's totally cliche but what good would a romance be if the hero or heroine didn't tuck tail and run so that we could enjoy a good session of make-up sex at the end?
February 24, 2014
As I've said in past reviews, I'm not a huge fan of mushy gushy romance -- especially of the soft core porn variety -- but I decided to give DEFINITELY NAUGHTY a try anyways -- because I was curious about this whole sexy man trading card concept. Basically, sassy gal Aubrey is in panic mode, trying desperately to come up with a winning concept for the window design of the massive, upscale lingerie boutique where she prepares for a world class celebrity party. When a trading card flies into her hand on a windy day, showing a sexy eligible police officer named Liam, she decides to take a risk and propose for him to become her (sex) muse -- at least until the day before Christmas Eve, when surely will be inspired to unveil the perfect window display. Surprised that Liam accepts the challenge, Aubrey's plan comes to a screeching halt when she suspects that her feelings for Liam may have escalated well beyond what was intended -- so must she decide between the perfect job and the perfect man in order to get anything accomplished?! Don't let the sleazy cover art trick you -- this is a romance novel for the most part -- not a work of soft core porn (although some scenes do get very vaguely racy). The trading card idea was a fun twist, but besides that aspect, I just felt I'd read this all before. Even so, I appreciate the publisher allowing me the opportunity to review -- and for those who love a red hot romance without the drawn out kinky descriptions, I'm sure this will be right up your alley!
July 30, 2014
Ok, so the premise of this little read from Cosmo's Red-Hot Reads line could easily be the storyline for a late-night Skin-a-max show. There's this concept of men trading cards (?) and a big fuss over decorating a NYC store window for a big holiday hit (although, timing was OFF...if a retailer wants to make money during the holiday season, they best get their window set done well before fippin' Christmas Eve Eve), somehow necessitating a muse that came in the form of having to have sex for expected inspiration. Eh hem. All that aside, this was actually an enjoyable, and hot, read. The characters were quite likable and despite the pretty forced situation contrived for their reason for meeting and staying together, they have a pretty natural evolution to their relationship. And, all this happens in a tiny read-in-one-night-before-bed novella. Impressive. Must check out more of Jo Leigh's work. That said, I think the end was way rushed. Thus the HEA was rushed. And, the MUCH fussed over design dilemma for the store window was also quite anti-climatic and a bit ambiguous. At minimum they should have added another 20-50 pages to simply flesh that out and tidy the proverbial bow up a bit. But, this story, again, however Skin-a-maxie it was, could have easily been a full length book. An enjoyable one, actually.
November 20, 2013
This review pertains to Definitely Naughty, by Jo Leigh. Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Cosmo Red Hot Reads for the opportunity to read and review this book. Definitely Naughty is a fun, quick sexy read which will appeal to many readers! Jo Leigh’s writing is witty and sexy and thoroughly enjoyable. The story flowed easily and had great dialogue, but Aubrey’s choices were frustrating. I didn’t quite understand her low self-esteem and why she was running away from Liam. There was no true confrontational moment to make Aubrey feel she wasn’t worthy of Liam or that they both didn’t want the same thing. Both characters were great. Aubrey is fun, creative and a bit quirky, to Liam’s tough stand up kind of guy. Their introduction scene was hilarious and to me made the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but also wish there had been more detail on the final window display Aubrey was working on. It was almost a character in the book, but wasn’t detailed enough to get a true understanding of it. I couldn’t quite picture it. All in All, I enjoyed this quick read and would definitely recommend to contemporary romance readers who enjoy stories with a lot of steamy scenes.
July 28, 2014
There was a lot to like about this book. Aubrey, our heroine, was pretty dang funny and feisty, a combination that I’ve very fond of. I enjoyed being in her head and learning about her. Although, at times I felt like her thoughts were so frenetic and all over the place that I felt lost. Her counterpart Liam, definitely had the hot guy thing down, but he was a bit of a stick in the mud. And unfortunately, even when he was loosening up because of Aubrey, I still didn’t feel like I connected with him much. I wasn’t sure why I should care about the guy because I really didn’t know anything about him except that he was a detective…a ridiculously hot one at that.
I would have loved for this to be a little bit longer and maybe get a little bit more of a connection with Liam. I wanted to really fall for him. He had the potential to be a great book boyfriend, I just couldn’t really care. Aubrey, on the other hand, I would have liked to have been friends with. I could see us out on the town, having drinks and flirting with boys. It’d be a ton of fun, I’m sure.
Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review
I would have loved for this to be a little bit longer and maybe get a little bit more of a connection with Liam. I wanted to really fall for him. He had the potential to be a great book boyfriend, I just couldn’t really care. Aubrey, on the other hand, I would have liked to have been friends with. I could see us out on the town, having drinks and flirting with boys. It’d be a ton of fun, I’m sure.
Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review
August 12, 2016
This was a fun little read. The overall concept was out there but ya just gotta love a girl who just propositions a guy to be her sex toy for a few weeks under the guise of being her muse. Ok, so she truly believed he was & turns out that he did provide her with some inspiration but she totally could have gotten there without him. Aubrey definitely comes into Liam's life & jazzes it up, you just want the 2 to end up together in the end. There are points where Liam is a little forgetful of their deal, or maybe hopeful that they will move past the deal & stay together is a better way to say it? Either way, Aubrey has grown on him & he won't let her go easily... not that she tries too hard. Overall it's fun, short read!
This was a free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was a free ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2014
I was going to do this as part of my Clearing the Backlist Challenge on my website, My Written Romance. But I finished it much quicker than I was expecting to, so....here it goes.
This may be a novella set around Christmas, but it didn't have that overwhelmingly Christmassy feel - this I liked.
Definitely Naughty is a fun, sexy read, perfect for when you have a craving for a slice of cake, rather than the whole confection.
I enjoyed Aubrey and Liam, and I loved that she was open about what she wanted from him - even if it wasn't how things ended up. It didn't have an instalovey feel, and their relationship never felt rushed or under-developed.
Jo Leigh is one of my favourites from the Harlequin Blaze line, and her venture into Cosmo's Red Hot Reads is a perfect compliment to her work.
I give this 4 out of 5.
This may be a novella set around Christmas, but it didn't have that overwhelmingly Christmassy feel - this I liked.
Definitely Naughty is a fun, sexy read, perfect for when you have a craving for a slice of cake, rather than the whole confection.
I enjoyed Aubrey and Liam, and I loved that she was open about what she wanted from him - even if it wasn't how things ended up. It didn't have an instalovey feel, and their relationship never felt rushed or under-developed.
Jo Leigh is one of my favourites from the Harlequin Blaze line, and her venture into Cosmo's Red Hot Reads is a perfect compliment to her work.
I give this 4 out of 5.
February 11, 2014
What a good time. This book was so much fun. I loved also that it was about a cop, and store window dresser (I did not know that was a profession). I loved how ballsy Aubrey was, she knew that she needed this man to be her muse, and boy did she ever use and abuse the muse (LMAO). She was so bold to call and set up a meeting with him, and then to put sex on the table. Liam was also pretty cool. He was such a guy though, but a good guy. He really cared, and it was evident from the beginning that he wanted to ensure that they were both happy. A short sexy read that involves LOTS of over top lingerie, and trench coats, lots and lots of sex. And a couple who were just made to be together. A definite must read.
February 16, 2014
This was a fun and lighthearted romance about a free spirited artist working as a window dresser of the famous lingerie store Le Muse and a cop who has gotten the nickname Ridiculous for his extremely good looks and whose personality is classic boy next door. Definitely Naughty had a great start, wonderful characters, snappy and witty dialogue and a cute meet that is out of the ordinary. However, there are moments where it fell short on continuity and character development. I think if the story was longer this would have been addressed better and maybe give better reasons for each characters action. Despite this it was still a fun read. Steam level: two.
*The ARC for this novella was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review*
*The ARC for this novella was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in return for an honest review*
September 1, 2016
This was a great love story about finding someone in an unconventional way, when you are not even in the market for a relationship and falling for them quickly!! And finally realizing during the short courtship that the other person brings out the best in you! Aubrey and her free spiritedness allowed Liam to loosen up and live life instead of working only. Liam gave Aubrey unconditional support and encouragement and boosted the self-esteem of an already self-assured woman. Definitely not as HOT as the other Cosmo Red-Hot Reads that I have read but still a well written and good story.
December 24, 2013
I am sad to say that I was not impressed. This was my first time reading one of the Cosmo red hot reads (I read the sample in the back of the magazine but never read a book until now). This one was just not up my alley. The premise of the story was good, I did enjoy that but the heroine was a little to self degrading for it to be a woman empowerment story. Also, it was not as steamy as I thought it would be, it cut out at the good parts. I may read stories by other authors but Jo Leigh did not impress me I am sorry to say.
January 14, 2014
Jo Leigh is a very capable writer. Her writing is witty, sexy and fun. This novella was extremely enjoyable, with well delineated engaging characters and a fun premise. The settings were not as detailed as I would have liked, but that is probably a result of the novella format. The love scenes, however were passionate and plentiful and served to move the story along. Fast paced and well plotted, this book was a light easy read. I would read more from the author.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2013
3 1/2 stars - ARC review - Cute little novella about Aubrey Hayes, a window-dresser with a creative block. The fates put Detective Liam Flynn in her life and she uses him as a muse. Holding the emotions at bay seems like a good plan until the Ridiculously Good Looking Cop gets under her skin. What will it take for him to overcome the time limit and work into her life for the long run?
July 20, 2014
I'd been trying since the first chapter to find the best word to describe this book.
I got it by the end: trippy.
The writing style was interestingly quirky, the female MC was a little off her rockers (although, of course, she's an artist), and the male MC was almost as dull as a dishwasher. Fun little read with an out-there concept and very unique narrative.
I got it by the end: trippy.
The writing style was interestingly quirky, the female MC was a little off her rockers (although, of course, she's an artist), and the male MC was almost as dull as a dishwasher. Fun little read with an out-there concept and very unique narrative.
August 11, 2016
Definitely Naughty was a quick, fun read. I read it all in one sitting. Aubrey and Liam had great chemistry, and their relationship grew into more than just a physical connection. Liam was definitely a swoonworthy love interest!
November 19, 2013
See my full review:
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-def...
http://harlequinjunkie.com/review-def...
December 23, 2013
Fab read. I loved Aubrey and Liam's steamy love affair. The hooking up turned into something more as he was her muse. 4*
February 14, 2014
My rating: 3.5 of 5
October 18, 2015
Thought this was a pretty good read.
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