Bare Essentials: Naughty But Nice\Naturally Naughty

Bare Essentials #1-2

by Jill Shalvis

Naughty But Nice

by New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis

Lingerie model Cassie Tremaine Montgomery intends to have her revenge on the citizens of her hometown--starting with seducing the sheriff, Sean "Tag" Taggart. Tag, however, isn't cooperating. He's more than willing to set the sheets on fire with her, but he's asking for more than just sizzling sex.... He knows Cassie's not as tough as she pretends. And he knows she cares about him--even if she won't admit it. So he'll just turn up the heat until she concedes there's more between them than this red-hot passion.

Naturally Naughty

by New York Times bestselling author Leslie Kelly

Kate Jones, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, is home. And she's got an agenda. To get revenge on the man who humiliated her mother, Kate's going to seduce that man's son--the town's golden boy, John Winfield Jr.--and then leave him drooling in a puddle of lust. However, when she finds herself seduced by a sexy stranger named Jack, little does she guess that the tables have just been turned....

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Anthologies, Erotica, Adult, Harlequin Blaze

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2013

About the author

Jill Shalvis is a NYT, USA Today, and Amazon Top 100 bestselling author of small-town romance and romcoms, known for big feels, found family, and plenty of shenanigans.

If you love small-town chaos, meddling friends and neighbors, sizzling chemistry, and heroes who fall hard for the one woman they absolutely did not plan on, you’re in the right place. Jill’s books blend laugh-out-loud moments with emotional gut punches, slow-burn tension, and deeply earned happily ever afters.

She writes the stories she loves to read: small-town romance and romantic comedies packed with heart, heat, second chances, grumpy/sunshine sparks, and the kind of found-family vibes that make you want to move right into the pages. Many of her series are perfect for binge-reading, and a number of her books are available in Kindle Unlimited and at major retailers.

When she’s not writing, she’s probably plotting new ways to torture her characters, avoiding laundry, or daydreaming about fictional men and the strong, complicated women who bring them to their knees—and then making them work for it.

You can follow Jill here on Goodreads to keep up with new releases, add her books to your shelves, and discover which small town you want to get lost in next.

Reviews

[Ash Wednesday · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 STARS

"You're not a fan of Pleasantville?"
"It's all right," the girl said shrugging. "Could be a decent place, if it would move out of the 1940s and into the new millennium. Just needs something to shake things up."

Ah Pleasantville, if only you were as interesting a character in this book as that town from the eponymous 90s movie.



I have bit of a weakness for small town stories. I'm a sucker for the returning hero or heroine, revisiting old flames and deep grudges, meaning to serve some retribution and a heavy side dish of gloating. So these two books in Bare Essentials automatically had that going for me. And in certain stretches for both stories, I did find myself enjoying scenes and dialogues, but there are still patches of cringe-worthy mishaps and embarrassing pitfalls that were much too obvious for me to ignore.

Cassie Tremaine Montgomery and Katherine Jones are cousins who have both been burned by unpleasant memories in Pleasantville courtesy of their surname's notoriety. Cassie's mother, has been widely-renowned as the town tramp, earning her a reputation by association from the rest of the townsfolk. Kate's mom was rumored to be having an affair with the town's mayor right under his family's nose as Edie works as their maid. Both Tremaine women left town holding a grudge and a promise to return one day and exact some form of revenge on the town that gave them so much heartache when they were younger.

And return they did.

NAUGHTY BUT NICE (Jill Shalvis)

Cassie is now a successful lingerie model and she returns to Pleasantville seeking asylum from a stalker back in New York while settling some real estate affairs for her mother. And just because our Cassie is such a multi-tasker, she also brought along the to-do list she's written when she was younger and went ahead to start crossing items off.

1. Drive a fancy sunshine yellow car.
2. Get the sheriff (because he made a creepy pass on her on prom night involving him, her and her mother).
3. Live in the biggest house on Lilac Hill (which is part of her mother's affairs she needs to settle).
4. Open a porn shop.
5. Become someone.

Conveniently she gets caught by the new town sheriff speeding in her yellow Prosche, Sean "Tag" Taggart the son of the old sheriff who propositioned her for a threesome with her mom. She doesn't know this. They fall in lust at first sight. She opens an erotic store, Bare Essentials with Kate. He wants to have a relationship with her. She doesn't do relationships especially of men in uniforms.

A Tremaine woman always lands on her feet. You know that."
Sometimes it's a long fall first."

Cassie's character is supposed to be the gorgeous, wild and tempestuous Tremaine with a lot more sass and attitude. Which meant a lot of calling Tag 'ace' 'slick', 'big boy', 'big man', 'cowboy' and her dildo 'bad boy' which was really off-putting for me because this hardly translates to sass and attitude to me. It was also quite confusing what she was trying to accomplish pretending she's the hussy the town accuses her to be when she's anything but. This of course resulted in a lot of will have sex, won't have sex moments between her and Tag but emotionally, it didn't make sense. 

I did enjoy Tag as a hero. While having him chase Cassie for a commitment is hardly original, I am a sucker for the alpha-beta hero hybrid so points for that. There was one moment when Cassie expressly says 'No' to Tag's advances but he continues to pursue his… ventures which of course ends up with Cassie relenting and they have sex anyway. It's great that we know as readers what Cassie is thinking of but this small scene made me a little uncomfortable. I mean, sex in real life doesn't, SHOULDN'T work like a Robin Thicke song.



But then we are in the realm of supposed erotic female fantasies where the sheriff turns up in the front door leaning on the doorjamb, arms crossed with his fucking "sunglasses hanging out the side of his mouth by an earpiece" so clearly the rules of reality doesn't apply (because in that realm that just sounds hokey and ridiculous).

The narrative flowed quite easily and I think  Shalvis' humor felt more organic in the story line than in the other book. There's also character growth in Cassie so all's not lost for this heroine. Plus she owns a cat. I wanted more depth in her relationship with her mother who was just a ghost of a character. Some exposition on her motivations at the cost of one less aborted sex scene between Cassie and Tag wouldn't have hurt. Because the to and fro between her and Tag just went on too unnecessarily long for me.

Rating: 2.5 STARS

NATURALLY NAUGHTY (Leslie Kelly)

Kate is now the owner of a sex toy store in Chicago and she returns to Pleasantville to help her cousin start up their revenge business venture. She meets Jack who is also from Chicago, who kisses her on the street and has mind-blowing (of course) sex with her in the old town cinema. All in one day. He promises to meet her again in Chicago to start something with her but he never did call. Because Jack discovers Kate is the daughter of their old maid whom his father had an affair with. They meet up again in Pleasantville after a few days, with Kate intent on seducing the now-deceased mayor's son, a certain J. J. Winfield, as her own revenge.



I liked Kate's story a LOT better than Cassie's mostly because there was more sense and substance in her hurt. I loved the backstory between her mother and Jack's father. I got to know Pleasantville better as well compared to Cassie's story. And I like that her conflict as a character, the supposed straight-A, good girl with an inherent sexual adventurism, was clearly depicted and better enhanced with a hero like Jack.

I do feel some of the dialogue veered on this side of cheesy and outright hilarious that bled into certain details particularly with Jack. Really? He's suddenly a Tae Kwon Do instructor soon as Kate claims she likes dangerous and graceful men? What's wrong with an assassin ballerina? Also in Kate-verse tongues are sweet as well as man sweat (eww), "hearts pound in the rhythm of a tribal drum" and well…

This time she didn't want to be the only one completely out of control, brought to ever higher peaks of ecstasy by Jack.

She wanted to be the one turning him into a RAGING, LIVING, BREATHING HORMONE.

Though I love the originality of this declaration, something about wishing your partner into becoming something that can give you cancer, strange mood swings or the ability to lactate (among others) just tickles me in the way I don't think I was meant to be tickled.

Rating: 3.5 STARS

The assertion that both Cassie and Kate are smart, radical and progressive women for opening a sex toy store in the small and conservative town of Pleasantville was very confusing to me as a form of revenge. Isn't it economically unsound to open a SPECIALTY STORE in a predominantly rural area? Wouldn't that be plotting revenge on themselves as they'd be financing a highly unfeasible business venture? Because Kate's feasibility study was the opinion of one housewife while inebriated with Bourbon playing Bunko (I'm not even kidding).

Most of the sex scenes for both books were quite steamy, this side of graphic (Sex on a swing! Whee!) with lots of talking while still well within the bounds of romance. Both heroes, Jack and tag, were likable but had no perceivable depths as characters. Both stories will expect you to believe that kissing an attractive stranger in the middle of the street won't get you arrested and you can fall in love on the sole basis of great sex… which soon as you let go, made this for quite an entertaining fantasy.

Overall both books were quite well written and an easy enjoyable read that will probably work with the proper mindset and reader's hankering.

ARC provided by Harlequin thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Quotes may not appear on the published edition.

Also on BookLikes.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

Naughty But Nice by Jill Shalvis
Cassie Tremaine Montgomery has returned home to Pleasantville with revenge on the brain. She grew up being called trashy and had unwanted advances made right, left, and center. She doesn’t expect that her first day back she’ll get pulled over by hunky Sheriff Sean “Tag” Taggart. Tag lights a fire in Cassie and the attraction is mutual. But while Cassie is fine with a no-strings affair, she isn’t keen on having a real relationship. Tag, however, is determined to make Cassie see just how good they can be together.

I’m a fan of Jill Shalvis so I was excited to dive into one of her backlist titles I hadn’t yet read. Naughty But Nice has a bold heroine and an alpha hero. Should be a simple matter of chemistry plus spice plus fun, right? Not so much. The people of Pleasantville treated Cassie and her family like garbage and sexualized her from a young age, so it’s easy to see why she doesn’t have fond memories of the place. The town she grew up in is no longer the same and Cassie’s walls slowly come down as she realizes that not everyone is out to attack her. That being said, the first half of the book just made me sad for Cassie. She was assaulted and insulted and people just focused on her looks and how desirable she was. That made even the attraction Tag felt for her less than appealing. The story did improve as it went on and I liked the friends Cassie made over the course of the story. The romance between her and Tag is heavily built on lust and was just so-so for me. I know Shalvis was aiming for deeper connection between the two but that fell a bit flat for me. Overall, Naughty But Nice was just an OK read for me.


Naturally Naughty by Leslie Kelly
Kate Jones is home and – like her cousin – wants revenge. Kate’s revenge is more specific: she wants to get back at the man responsible for a lot of her childhood hardships. However, with him gone the next best target is his son, J.J. Winfield. It’s a surprise to Kate that J.J. is none other than Jack, her one-night stand who she hasn’t been able to stop thinking about…

Naturally Naughty is a good girl going bad and it’s a lot of fun to read. Kate is known as the sweet cousin, but she’s got a lot of spice in her. The death of his father has opened Jack’s eyes to some of the problems in his family. He has a heavy weight on his shoulders trying to make things right. Kate knocks him off his feet as much as he does her. The two of them have a heaping dose of mutual attraction that no amount of good intentions can make them ignore. I liked watching them dance around each other; the sexual tension was entertaining and their chemistry made the pages fly by. I liked their happily ever after and this story definitely made me want to look for more of Leslie Kelly’s work.


Bare Essentials is a duology of two cousins needing to confront their pasts in order to have a chance at a happier future. It’s sexy, entertaining, and though it had its flaws it was overall enjoyable.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed part one of this book, which was written by Jill Shalvis. I've read maybe a handful of her stories and I've really liked some, others... not so much. The saving grace for this story was the length. It kept the animosity on Cassie's part from being dragged out. There was a point maybe halfway that I thought "enough is enough" and luckily that was the turning point. Cassie's not a typical heroine that I enjoy, but I liked the dynamic between her and Tag.

Leslie Kelly's part two was also enjoyable, although I liked it slightly less. I think it was the characters. The "first meeting" was a little unbelievable but the rest of the story flowed okay and was fun. I was waiting for the big showdown that never really happened between the two families. I guess the way it was built up in the beginning, I expected the fact that Kate and Jack were together to be a bigger issue than it turned out to be.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

All of the last few Jill Shalvis books I've read have been rather under-whelming, so I approached this without a great deal of enthusiasm. After reading the first story, the Shalvis story, I was pleasantly surprised. It was sexy. It had lots of tension and teasing and was exactly what I was hoping for. The back story was a little hard to swallow, but I didn't pay much attention to it and it wasn't a problem.

After the first story went so well, I decided to keep going with the second story. Again, it was sexy and fun. The scene at the theatre was fantastic! In this case, the story was more believable and it all worked.

There is nothing in this book that is going to change your life or emotionally move you, but it's fun, sexy and quick which, sometimes, is all you need.

[Simply Love Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

Review copy provided for an honest review

5 STARS

Okay, time for some honest truth here … I may be one of the only people on the face of this earth but have to admit – this is the first time I am reading Jill Shalvis. Yep, go ahead, yell at me, laugh at me and then slap me in the head. But, I have read Leslie Kelly before … yea me! Now, since the confession is over, I have to give you my honest and true opinion of “Bare Essentials” and I think that the best way to to that is to say that I plan on, in the very near future, to spend a lot of money to get new glasses and purchase The Lucky Harbor series so that I could continue to read one fabulous author. Leslie Kelly was already on my radar and I have a few of her books but will definitely be adding more of her to my TBR pile as well.

So, on to Bare Essentials.

There are two stories, two heroines and two heroes. Cassie and Kate are cousins who were raised in a little Ohio town called Pleasantville. The only thing “pleasant” to either one of them was when they left it and it’s small-minded, highly-opinionated people behind. They also had a little bucket-list that included going home and proving them all wrong … revenge is sweet, so they say.

Naughty But Nice is Cassie and Sean’s story. The lingerie model and the hot cop. But, when they realize just who the other is, will the attraction fizzle or will it flame out of control? First, Cassie has to face the people that criticized, ridiculed and made fun of her – including the Sheriff – the man that sealed her fate and really got her to leave town when he suggested a menage with her mother. Enough of everyone thinking that a Tremaine is nothing but a tramp. It doesn’t matter how successful she is or how wonderful she turned out, they won’t think anything but bad of her anyway. Soooooo, with the help of her cousin Kate, Bare Essentials is opening it’s second store in Pleasantville. And, won’t the residents of the up-tight, high-browed, closed-minded little town just be appalled with a storefront filled with sexy lingerie, dildos, vibrators – you get the picture. Maybe they would have a little pity for her if they knew the reason why she returned to the one place that holds nothing but bad memories for her.

Maybe, if she didn’t let these people get to her she’d be able to open up and truly feel something for “Tag”, let him into her heart instead of just having hot sex with him. But, if her mother taught her anything it was to get what you can from a man and move on.

Sean knew exactly who Cassie was the first time he pulled her over. What he didn’t know was why she did not like law enforcement, why she was being so antagonistic towards him, why she had a huge chip on her shoulder. But, he did know that he wanted her, and bad. A failed engagement, a father that he barely tolerated and a town that knew little more than to talk behind peoples backs, make assumptions and meddle where they don’t belong could tarnish anyone’s outlook on life.

His dream is to have a woman to come home to that will worship him and be with him. Love him and make a life with and for him. Cassie? Really? Smart-mouth, loud-mouth, arrogant Cassie? Yep, she’s what he wants and he has to convince her that there’s more to Pleasantville than the old guard. He also has to protect her, not only from her stalker but from herself as well. When he finds out exactly what his father did to drive her away, he doubles his efforts to show her that not all the Taggart men are out for one thing only.

Naturally Naughty is all about the nice, sweet, kind, introverted Kate Jones, daughter of Edie, the Mayor’s mistress. And, Jack “J.J.” Winfield the, unbeknownst to Kate, son of the late Mayor. What starts off as a chance meeting, a hot kiss between two strangers in the middle of the street turns into sweet sex on the stage at the old Rialto theater and a promise to call her when they are both back in Chicago. What Jack didn’t bank on was finding out just who Kate really was and about his father’s affair. What Kate didn’t bank on was Jack not calling her.

Upset that she didn’t hear from Jack, Kate returns to Pleasantville hell bent on fulfilling her wish list. First thing – seduce and break the heart of one J. J. Winfield just as his father did to her mother. He just rented her mother’s half of the house – time for her to move into the other half and set her plans in motion as she gets Bare Essentials ready for the grand opening. Surprise! J. J. Winfield is none other than Jack, the man who seduced her and never called. Pissed doesn’t describe how she feels. Now what does she do? Does she exact her revenge on him as planned or does she back off because of the feelings he stirred up in her?

Jack can’t stand being back in Pleasantville with is family. A mother who does nothing but drink and cry and a vengeful sister. He’s back to finally settle his father’s business affairs but, after his last trip here and finding out about his father, there is no way he is staying in the house on Lily Hill with them. What better way to try to make amends to Kate and her mother than to stay in the house, fix it up and get it ready to be sold without them knowing why he is doing it. But, when Kate shows up at the house, all his plans to help her mother out and staying away from her until he is rid of the guilt that he feels, flies out the window. He can’t hide or fight the attraction he has for her. He’s falling in love with her and he has no idea if the woman hell-bent on revenge is going to accept his love.

When the truth comes out about Edie and the Mayor, prom night and his mother’s lies, there is no way Jack is going to stay away from Kate. She’s his – now he has to prove that he wants her for more than just a live in sex toy.

Okay, I really enjoyed these two books rolled into Bare Essentials. They were light, witty, fun. Two girls with revenge in their hearts only to find out that, over time, some people change and maybe it’s not fair to blame this generation for the sins of their ancestors past. They can be accepted for who they are and not what th

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two separate stories that are happening at the same time, Cassie and Kate are cousins who have a score to settle back in their hometown of Pleasantville, Ohio. This is my first time reading Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly, they both tell entertaining stories with plenty of steam. I was more into the first story not because it was necessarily better but by the time we get to Kate I think I was just over the whole idea of people in a town making your childhood years miserable. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the stories, and felt it was a good read.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it alright. I think the manga does elevate my experience in enjoying this book.
Short story about two Tremaine cousins who wants to leave Pleasantville, the city that is not pleasant at all to the Tremaine women.

The first story is seriously hot . I guess I prefer hot , protective sheriff to our golden boy. Cassie has more smart-mouth than Kate. However, my favorite is Armand with his vibrator panty lol. I want that panty! XD

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bare Essentials is the name of the woman’s store owned by Cassie Montgomery and Kate Jones. As the name implies, they sell designer lingerie as well as sexual items. The first store in Chicago is very famous and the women decide to put the second store in their hometown with the purpose of getting their revenge on those who made comments about the trashy Tremaine family while they were growing up. But the store is a success and both Cassie and Kate find that people are not as bad as remembered. There are still the snobs who look down on them but they are rare as most are friendly and welcome them back. Cassie finds unexpected love with sheriff Sean Taggart (Tag) while Kate finds her love with Jack Winfield.

Most men in town had been "friends" with Cassie's mother Flo and people judged Cassie by her mother. She had never been as humiliated as on prom night when Sheriff Richard Taggart pulled her date's car over and made sexual innuendos to her. She had thought he was the only man in town she could respect and now finds she was wrong. Tag realizes she doesn't trust men and finally learns why. She got a last laugh on the snobs when a banker "friend" of her mother's left her a house in the elite section and that is where Cassie is living.

Kate's mother had a love affair with Mayor Winfield for several decades and Kate planned revenge on his son but that was before she fell in love with him and he with her. Her mother tells her that she and the mayor had been high school sweethearts until a silly spat and another woman claimed she was pregnant. Winfield married her only to find she had lied. Jack proposed they live together in Chicago and she took it to mean she was not good enough for marriage. He set her straight on this.

A thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of laughs along the way. Jill wrote the first section entitled "Bare Essentials" based on Cassie while Leslie wrote the second section entitled "Naturally Naughty" based on Kate.

[Rosie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Library Book. These were 2 short cheezy books that where put into one book about cousins who wanted to get out of their hometown and come back after time and shock the people who made their younger lives miserable. Silly. They came back to town to open a "women's" store to shock to people in the town and no one really cared. Prime example of living well is the best revenge.

[K D · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars for Jill Shalvis's story. The beginning felt a little rough to me.
4 stars for Leslie Kelly's story. This story worked better for me for some reason. Maybe just because Kate is sweeter than Cassie....

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

-- Naughty But Nice by Jill Shalvis -- 3.5 Stars
-- Naturally Naughty by Leslie Kelly -- 3.5 Stars
Overall Average: 3.5 Stars

Review to come.

[Lisa Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read

Fun, sexy and sweet. I really liked this book. The characters were genuine in both stories. There was just alot to like.

[Christine D · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not a fan of revenge romances. Both of these were written well, but the plot was not a favorite of mine.

[Jaime Fiction Fangirls · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Cherie Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two great sexy, hot, steamy love stories. Wow I really enjoyed both of these stories. I am glad they were meant to be together all four of them. 🔥⭐🔥⭐⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐🔥⭐

[Emily McGee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naughty But Nice
The first story in the Bare Essentials duo begins with Cassie who is running back to her hometown to escape a stalker. Hilarious, because ten short years ago she was running from said hometown because of the stigma that the Tremaine women carry. So, she's back with big chip on her shoulder and hell bent on wreaking havoc among the townsfolk that had once made her life hell. Of course, the only one who can steady her speeding, and music blaring is Sheriff Taggart. A different Taggart than the one who inflicted emotional damage on the night of Cassie's prom but, his son none the less. Everywhere Cassie turns Tag is there. Trying to be helpful but, also hoping to explore the connection they have made. But Cassie is gun-shy in this town and can't justify letting her guard down until Tag gives her no other choice. And since she is staying in town to open up a upscale sex shop, Cassie will be having to deal with Tag on a regular basis.

Naughty But Nice is the same quirky, light-hearted, fun read you usually expect from Ms. Shalvis. The chemistry is steaming and the dialogue is quippy. Cassie is a hell-raising, stubborn heroine trying to prove her worth. And Tag is teaching Cassie a thing or two about preconceived notions. They have a lot to prove but, more to each other than to anyone else. I think my favorite parts were the scenes in the store. It was hilarious to see Tag confronted with abnormally large dildos and the like. But of course that also lead to the hottest sex in the book. These two did have a complicated journey to explore but, in the end it was a good story with equal parts hilarity, sweetness and heat. Meanwhile...

Naturally Naughty
The second part of this duo happens simultaneously. Kate Jones is a Tremaine woman by blood. Which means she was held to the same low standards as her cousin, Cassie. Kate has her own revenge to seek in her hometown. After the townspeople ran out her mother for having an affair with the married mayor for several year, which only came to light at his death, Kate has nothing but contempt for this town. Imagine her surprise when her first day back she falls into a stranger's arms and they steal a quick tryst before parting ways. So... why can't I find a hot guy like this? Totally, not fair. Anyhow, Kate returns back to Chicago not expecting to hear from Jack (yes, she did get his name!), even though he said he would call. Not the least bit surprised when he doesn't Kate doesn't dwell on it, until she returns to help her cousin open another branch of Bare Essentials. And this is where she gets the biggest surprise. She and Jack have just started their rough road, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel so far.

The story is much like the first. The female lead is hell bent on exacting some type of revenge on the town that mistreated her so much, although Cassie and Kate seem to be just fine with showing off their success and then leaving the town behind. If one it were that easy. For Kate, their new store and her budding relationship with Jack entice her to stay a little while. These two have some of the hottest escapades... let me just say one thing: Public orgasm with no touching. Yes, you're rushing to one click this right now. It was the best scene of Kate's book.

Overall
These are both full length books. So you definitely get a fully developed story with each. They are both funny, and light romances. Perfect for quick reading and enjoyment. These are the books that fall under the category enjoyable but, not captivating. While they held my attention and I loved reading them, I probably won't keep them on my re-read shelf. And they won't make my beat reads list either. But in between those angsty, emotionally draining books that I love so much, Bare Essentials is perfect! It's a great duo that just helped me escape for a little while, without totally getting lost in my head. So, I do recommend Bare Essentials if you're in the mood for a fun, steamy romance with a lot of humor thrown in. It definitely does the trick of making you laugh and swoon.

Happy Reading!
*ARC provided by the publisher/author through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Book Reading Gals · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Bare Essentials
Authors: Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly
Genre: Modern Day Romance
Blurb:

Naughty But Nice
by New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis

Lingerie model Cassie Tremaine Montgomery intends to have her revenge on the citizens of her hometown—starting with seducing the sheriff, Sean "Tag" Taggart. Tag, however, isn't cooperating. He's more than willing to set the sheets on fire with her, but he's asking for more than just sizzling sex…. He knows Cassie's not as tough as she pretends. And he knows she cares about him—even if she won't admit it. So he'll just turn up the heat until she concedes there's more between them than this red-hot passion.

Naturally Naughty
by New York Times bestselling author Leslie Kelly

Kate Jones, the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, is home. And she's got an agenda. To get revenge on the man who humiliated her mother, Kate's going to seduce that man's son—the town's golden boy, John Winfield Jr.—and then leave him drooling in a puddle of lust. However, when she finds herself seduced by a sexy stranger named Jack, little does she guess that the tables have just been turned

Two cousins who were condemned in their small town by the name they carry come back to seek revenge on the town that made their childhood a living hell.

Cassie Tremaine is a famous underwear model that has a fan that is a little too much for her. In order for her to get away, she returns to her home town and becomes bored within a few hours of arriving.

Feeling like the town needs to be shaken up a little bit, Cassie convinces her cousin to open a branch of her store, Bare Essentials, in the town. Bare Essentials is a lady's store like no other, they specialize in naughty aspects for ladies and their men.

Not feeling that this is enough of a shake up, Cassie plans to take her revenge on the sheriff, Sean Taggot but we all call him Tag. Unfortunately things does not go Cassie's way when Tag wants more than what's she willing to give.

Running scared, would Cassie turn away from what could be the best thing of her life or would Tag think the same thing the citizens having been thinking for years "All Tremaine's are no good."

Kate Jones does not carry the Tremaine's actual name, but she is one through and through. Agreeing to her cousins idea about opening a branch of her store, Bare Essentials, in their old home town was the first step in her revenge plan, Kate decided to up the ante by decided to have her revenge on the man who broke her mother's heart.

Her plan is to seduce John Winfield Jr, (his son), make him fall madly in love with her and then dump his a** without even a backwards glance. However Kate soon finds herself seduced by a sexy stranger named Jack who is to hot to handle and who would soon have Kate hoping for things she has no business wanting.

+Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly both wrote an amazing book. +Jill Shalvis started the heat with her half of her story and Leslie finished it off with a fiery and smoking hot ending. These two author came together and wrote a book that almost satisfied all my needs of a book.

There were some loose ends that were not resolved to my taste. Why did they, (both of the couples) not discuss what was wrong with their parents? Seriously, I was left incomplete on how they figured out how or why their parents ending up the way they did.

For those of you who did not grasp it, Jill Shalvis wrote the story about Cassie and Tag and Leslie Kelly wrote about Kate and Jack. The greatest thing this book did for me was introduce me to a new author that I just HAVE to check out, Miss Leslie Kelly. I have alreay read and LOVED Jill Shalvis's books and you should too. Read the book, I guarantee you will love it!

Thoughts: Left some loose ends
Grade: A
Review by: Nathifa
http://www.thebookreadinggals.com

[Mitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read books by Jill Shalvis or Leslie Kelly so I had no expectations when reading this book. And I need to congratulate whoever thought about putting two books like this together, GENIUS! Two different cousins, two different stories, two different guys. PERFECT! I thought both books were equally competent and I really enjoyed being able to read one after the other. Both stories complimented each other, despite the fact that they were two different authors.

Naughty but Nice
by Jill Shalvis
It took me a few chapters for me to take real interest in the book. In other words, it had a slow beginning. I really don't like when this happens because it takes me a while to like the characters.

I actually liked the fact that Tag and Cassie had an unknown past together. Tag was a charming man and not only did I like him, I ended up LOVING him. Cassie was another story. I felt like I didn't understand her coldness. One minute she was hating everyone and then she wasn't. I felt like her transformation was not really smooth and I had trouble liking her and relating to her.

I loved the way Tag acted when he was around Cassie. He didn't force her into anything and he earned her trust; this made him 100 times sexier. I liked how they slowly started to develop their relationship, as much as Cassie wanted to fight it and Tag didn't. I felt like this part of the book was great because both characters were so different, but couldn't fight the attraction.

I LOVED the lake! The best scenes occurred there and I thought they were so romantic and absolutely steamy!

Throughout the entire book Cassie quotes her mother but at the end she discovers that she was quoting her incorrectly. I really liked this part. The misconception Cassie carried tied all the loose ends in her story and it was kind of funny.

The ending was a bit rushed, which annoyed me. How did Cassie feel after her stalker was captured? What happened afterwards? Did she get over her issues? Overall, I liked it.


Naturally Naughty
by Leslie Kelly
I really enjoyed Naturally Naughty! It was such a fun read, and yes I liked it more than Naughty but Nice. Kate and Jack (or J.J or John, whatever you want to call him) were explosive together. Although Kate seemed like the "sweeter" cousin in the first book, she was not. She was adventurous and daring, but at the same time very down-to-earth. It was absolutely fun to watch her fight the attraction she had for Jack.

JACK! The golden boy! Gosh, I adore him. He was genuinely nice and witty, and did NOT back down when Kate tempted him. He could also not keep his hands off her and I though this was super adorable because it made his point of view adorable.

The history between their parents was actually heartwarming. First loves, how ROMANTIC!? I liked how it played such a crucial role in their relationship because it was as if the story was being repeated. What their parents couldn't have, they could.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I loved all the secondary characters because they were all enjoyable and you could tell so much by how Cassie and Kate interacted with them. I also enjoyed having alternating point-of-views! I love getting inside the men's head. Haha :)

BARE ESSENTIALS! I loved this part of the book. The women's store the cousins open in Pleasantville, Ohio. I really thought that the revenge that both girls seek was justified but really enjoyed seeing them mature out of their need for revenge. Of course the MEN had something to do with that.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really understand the mixed reviews here- I totally loved this book!
It's actually 2 stories that have intertwining characters and story line which made it so much fun, and I really hope these authors will visit Pleasantville again because there are so many more stories to be told there!

Both stories revolve around cousins from the wrong side of town, the family everyone loves to gossip about in the small town. They both open on the heroine's prom night experiences' and how it lead them to create a bucket list. Now they are back in town to fulfill the list they created 10 years ago.

The first story Naughty but Nice, is Cassie and Sean's story. Cassie's a heroine most would love to hate- a lingerie model, perfect in her looks, rich and even comes across at the beginning as being almost mean, yet her vulnerabilities come across as well and I found myself wishing I could be friends with her. She's had it pretty tough and the perfect facade she puts out there is exactly that a facade. Que Sheriff Sean Taggart or "Tag" as most call him. The perfect Hero to call Cassie out for her act and see beneath the surface. She wasn't in his plans at all but watching these two fall in love, they practically sizzled right off the page. This is perfect Jill Shalvis- the small town you can practically see yourself walking around in, the fun supporting characters, and the sexy couple to stir things up. I think you'll find it has a little extra sizzle for Jill-but this totally worked for me.

The second story Naturally Naughty is Kate and Jack's story. Both of them natives of Pleasantville, it happens that they've made their lives in Chicago, but their paths don't cross until both are in town. Kate's the quieter cousin of the two, the good girl and shocks even herself when a chance meeting on the street turns into a sexy encounter in an old theatre. Both of them are shaken by their experience, but they discover they have a history with each other that they have to get past in order to be able to move on together. Leslie Kelly was a new author to me, but I thoroughly enjoyed this story as well.

This is a great fun contemporary. I loved the background story that is a common theme in both stories, a women's shop the two cousins are opening up in the town, which made for lots of laughs as Cassie and Kate played with the "samples". Definitely a must read!!

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://www.newandusedbooks.com/index....


Bare Essentials: Naughty But NiceNaturally Naughty
By Jill Shalvis
Harlequin Blaze
February 2014

Reissue - Naughty but Nice: Bare Essentials (Harlequin Blaze, No 63)

Cassie Tremaine Montgomery never stood a chance in a small town with the Tremaine name. She was branded “easy pickings” because her mother liked men and men really liked her mother. Cassie and her cousin, Kate, keep adding to their list “goals for life”, but the first thing either one of them wants is to get out of Pleasantville. Cassie respected Sheriff Richard Taggart because she had never seen him hanging around her mom. Cassie found out from the good sheriff himself that Tremaine’s were fair game ten years ago on prom night. The day after Cassie graduated from high school she left Pleasantville.

Ten years later Cassie is back in Pleasantville, but she is now known as one of the most famous and beautiful lingerie models in fashion history. She is stopped by the local sheriff for speeding in her sunshine yellow Porsche and for playing the music too loud in said automobile. Sheriff Sean “Tag” Taggert knows immediately who the driver is, but he was ahead of her in school and only knows about today’s Cassie, the model. Cassie doesn’t realize Tag isn’t a thing like his father, so she winds up with several tickets mainly for just giving him an attitude.

Jill Shalvis is the go-to-author for showing you a real good time with hot characters and sizzling sex. Cassie lives with the subconscious shame of being her mother’s daughter, even though there isn’t anything wrong with either of them. The shame has kept her from having meaningful relationships with men, but when Tag gets the vile gossip from his father about the Tremaine women, he understands where Cassie’s attitudes are coming from and why. Tag works real hard to gain her trust and her love. Tag is real handy to have around when Cassie’s stalker catches up with her. Naughty But Nice, the first story in Bare Essentials is funny, smart and most of all a very entertaining read.


Betty Cox, ReaderToReader.com

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Bare Essentials is two 2002 novellas put together under one cover. The first one -- Naughty but Nice by Jill Shalvis -- is about Cassie, much-maligned daughter of the town vixen. Cassie returns to her hometown to start a racy "women's shop" to spite all the gossips. I loved that she was up for fun with Tag, the new sheriff, while keeping her heart safe. Shalvis wrote some very steamy scenes here, running the gamut from a fling-y diversion all the way to making love because Cassie was falling in love. The plot is simple, the secondary characters pretty flat, and the sex toy conversations a little over the top, but the romance won me over. I rooted for Cassie and Tag all the way to the happily ever after.

The second novella -- Naturally Naughty by Leslie Kelly -- parallels Cassie's story but tells it from Kate's point of view. Because again the secondary characters play such small roles, there is no repetition or redundancy. The story seems new, with a touch of familiarity. The flirting and the sex are graphic and steamy, matching Kate's outspokenness and sense of fun. Kate and Jack were happy living the single life... until they found each other. They enjoyed each other's, ahem, company so much that they didn't even realize they were falling in love. While I found it hard to relate to Kate, and her friendships with the other female characters were awkward, I enjoyed watching her grow as she learned about her family history.

Shalvis and Kelly did a bang-up job writing novellas from the viewpoints of two best friends. They succeeded in creating sexy romances with strong female characters. And with the help of hot heroes, they let Cassie and Kate develop from sullen victims of hometown gossip to women who had something to contribute to Pleasantville. The girls finally realize that how they thought the people of Pleasantville perceived them was really only how they had perceived themselves.

[Wminbc · Rating 4 out of 5]

This duellal was a fun read with just enough romance and spice to get me through a rainy day at the cabin. Growing up poor and from “the bad” family was hard on Cassie and her cousin Kate. Both girls lived in side by side town houses with their single mothers. Cassie was always beautiful, but years of being objectified have left her jaded about men and relationships. Her mother was a woman who loved men: she loved spending time with them, talking with them and laying with them (married or not). As the daughter of the town’s whore, Cassie made a promise to herself to get back at everyone who looked down on her…starting with Sherriff Taggart, the old nasty pervert who tried to solicit her on her prom night!

Sean’s dad was and is a small minded ignorant pig, who ruled his town as he saw fit. Sean, on the other hand, believes in truth, honesty and above all else, honour. Sean can tell by the way Cassie treats him that she is into him, but not his uniform; she is no blue-badge babe. As they grow from acquaintances, to friends, to lovers, both Sean and Cassie learn a thing or two about gossip, rumours and assumptions. I just loved these two together! (story written by Jill Shalvis)

Kate, on the other hand, is bold, sexy and full of piss and vinegar, especially where the Winfield family is concerned. After discovering her mother, the Winfield’s maid, in a compromising position with Mr. Winfield, Kate has held a grudge against the “first family”. But sometimes the old adage is correct: Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. While Kate is working on her revenge plan against the town, the Winfields and especially her ghosts, love sneaks in and wrecks her plans. When the truth comes out, I love how Kate put it all on the line for Jack and he took her with all he had.

[Court · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/3 stars rounded to 4!

Shel: If you like Kristen Ashley (and YOU KNOW we do!), then this is anthology will remind you a little of her. You have strong and funny female and male characters who resist (or try) the natural magnetic force that continually tries to pull them together. In Naughty but Nice Cassie has been so guarded that Tag has to have the patience of a saint to get her to see that he's not the guy. And in Naturally Naughty Kate has felt so wronged by the people of her home town it's really hard for her to be open to a genuinely good guy, Jack. As you can imagine, these two women make it difficult to get past all of the barriers erected but Tag and Jack see how worth it these two women are and are quite persistent in winning them over.

Court: These two girls! Shee-it (hah). They definitely turn their home town of Pleasantsville (or more lovingly known as Pea-ville) upside down with their return. These two girls do not realize how bright their light shines, and they both let small town gossip and heartache affect them for a long, long time. I enjoyed this book in how both stories coincided so well together...and the journey for these cousins to get their HEA is hard fought, and lovely. Lots of feels, y'all.

Shel: Between stalkers, mean old women, warm new friends, and some seriously steamy sex scenes, Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly will keep you entertained. Court: Yes! The steam! The feels. The shenanigans with all of these people...and especially the assumptions...because you know what you get outta that. And Cassie and Kate definitely get more than they bargain for in this coming home love story.

Shel: Happy reading.

[Amalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

2 books in one, why yes please!

I enjoyed the first part which was written by Jill Shalvis. I am a huge Jill Shalvis fan of her writing style. It's just so effortless the way she weaves and tells her story with humor and tension between the two characters. I just loved it! It's about a girl named Cassie who goes back to her childhood home town to deal with her mothers assets and hide from her stalker. The people of her hometown was never kind to her and her family. While she hides out from her stalker she plans a revenge on the town. She enlist the help of her cousin whom has also experienced the unwelcome of the town. She soon realizes that not every one hated her or her family in that town. Plus she meets sexy Sheriff Tag who helps her deal with her past.

As for the second book it was good but not as good as Jill's. I don't know if it was because Jill's first book painted the storyline and build it from there. This book is about Cassie's cousin Kate who has vowed to make all the people who made her life and her mothers life a living hell to pay. Kate is a successful women's boutique owner who needs to go to her hometown to help Cassie and also deal with her mother's affairs. Only to fall for the sexy son of her mom's former employer. They are the cause of her terrible experience growing up in the small town. Now Kate is ready to set her revenge plot that her and Cassie devised when they were hurt teenagers.

I recommended this book because it's a fun book to pass the time away.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Naughty but Nice> by Jill Shalvis
Cassie Tremaine Montgomery is back in Pleasantville, Ohio. Not by choice. Her family, the Tremaines, was known for their rather... loose morals. Because of that, her reputation suffered and she couldn't wait to leave town. Before she left, one of her goals was to get even with the sheriff who had made a pass at her when she was eighteen years old.
Now a famous lingerie model, Cassie is trying to avoid a stalker as well as closing up her mother's house. Stopped on the way into town, she is startled to realize that the new sheriff is... hot.
Sean "Tag" Taggert is shocked to realize that a famous model is in his town. The nephew of the old sheriff is not cut from the same cloth but he is also very attracted to Cassie.
Naturally Naughty by Leslie Kelly
Kate Jones, Cassie's cousin, is also back in town. The will of the former mayor brought to light his... involvement... with her mother. His family is devastated. Or at least appear to be. His son, Jack, is only in town for a short period of time. He doesn't realize that the woman he admires on the street is the daughter of the woman who frustrated his mother for so many years.

I wish the stories had been more overlapping. In the first one, the cousins talk while both are in town and I didn't see that in the second one. They were okay stories and worth reading though, of course, being novellas, the ramping up to full relationships is a really short amount of time.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review featured on www.books-n-kisses.com

This is a reprint from 2002 but to be honest I didn’t know that until I pulled up the information to type of this review. There were a couple of small things written that now I realize are dated but a handful of small comments does not take away from the story and 99% of the story is not dated at all.

The story of Cassie and Tag is very engrossing. I enjoyed the way they came together. I story background is interesting and comprehensive. I think Tag is a great character and I love that he has a list of what he wants in a woman and yet realizes that Cassie is none of those things and yet everything he wants. Cassie has issues but she is still fun to read about. She has an interesting way of thinking. Shalvis is one of the best and from this story you can see she had the golden touch even a dozen years ago.

The story of Jake and Kate was just as sweet as the story of her cousin. Jake is a great guy. I enjoyed the instant chemistry they had and the interesting history of the town. The sexual side of this story is a lot more intense than the first story but it is done in a fun and interesting way. Kelly has a much different way of writing then Shalvis does but their writing seems to mesh really well.

I enjoyed these stories very much.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sharon Redfern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bare Essentials is really two books which tell the stories of two cousins, Cassie and Kate, who have returned to their old home town. Both of their mothers were considered a loose women by the town and going back is uncomfortable.
In Naughty but Nice by Jill Shalvis, Cassie has returned to a home her mother inherited and to escape a stalker. Her first day is marred by receiving a speeding ticket from the son of the sleazy guy who was sheriff during Cassie's youth. The entire story hinges on Cassie's going back and forth about trust and revenge issues balanced against her growing attraction and feelings for Tag. Helping her cousin open a sensual ladies shop and becoming part of the town helps Cassie find happiness and acceptance which enables her to be open to love.
Naturally Naughty by Leslie Kelly tells the story of Kate and her return to get revenge on the Winfield family. Unfortunately for her, she falls hard for Jack Winfield before she knows who he is. I really liked this story at the beginning but I thought it became a little too much about sex and not enough about the relationship. I found myself flipping through pages which is unusual because i have really liked Ms. Kelly in past books.

[Nakeesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

At the start of the story, which is really gripping, Cassie is the teen daughter of the town tramp. Her prom date is getting handsy and is pulled over by the sheriff. The sheriff tells the kid to walk it off, and Cassie is left under the leering gaze of the creepy Sheriff but she gets away from him physically unscathed.

Fast forward a decade. Cassie returns home a hugely successful super model having achieved her dreams and looking for some payback. She runs into the new sheriff, Tag, who happens to be the son of the elder. And they begin to circle each other.

Cassie begins a delightful transformation/realization as she comes to learn the people who she thought hated her never actually did. She starts to feel at home in this place she never felt welcome. And she keeps getting the circling attention of Sheriff Tag. I couldn't stomach Tag. He leered and dropped innuendo like his dad did at the top of the story. I couldn't separate the two and just felt creepy crawlies all over my skin whenever he opened his mouth or inner monologue.

I didn't finish the story or continue to the second, which is a stand alone yet interwoven into the first story.

ARC provided by NetGalley

[Darci Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review pertains to Bare Essentials, featuring Naughty But Nice\Naturally Naughty, by Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly. Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. Loved This! Two of my favorite authors in a compilation! I was super excited to read this, and they didn’t disappoint! The compilation follows cousins Cassie and Kate who grew up in a small town on the wrong side of the tracks. The cousins are back in town and trying to get back at all the people who hurt them when they were younger. Cassie is a lingerie model who is hiding out from a crazed fan and Kate is a successful business owner returning to town to help out her mother and opening another shop in town. I enjoyed both stories, they were connected to each other well and I really feel the authors writing style complimented each other. They were fun, fast-paced reads, and my only complaint is I wanted more(which is usually the case with these authors) Highly recommended to romance readers, especially fans of the authors. You won’t be disappointed!

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is actually a book about two cousins and their stories growing up in a town that treated them and their mothers like crap. Both are grown and successful women who are both forced back to town by circumstances that make them have to deal with their pasts. Each has to find their way to some kind of closure on what they thought they knew about their teen years and their mothers and the other people in town. For me this book was all over the place. I liked it i didn't like it. I was interested and then i felt like i could put it down and walk away. Both the cousins i think were to blame for this because that's how their characters seem to go to one extreme to the other. They were both in their individual stories a little to much at times. The sex scenes were to die for hot and i loved the male counterpoints to the cousins but it was just a bit off for me at times. Still a really good story as a whole and i enjoyed it.