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Lust In Translation #6
Amorous Liaisons
Max Laurent has always wanted Maddy Green. But he let her go once before rather than stand between her and her dreams. Now she's on his Paris doorstep, needing a place to stay. She's just as hot and he wants her just as much. How can he resist seducing her?
When Maddy's world falls apart, it's only natural that she turns to Max for support. But fall into his bed? Never until one steamy night, that is. And having had a taste of him, she's hungry for more. Then she has the chance to resume her career, although it means leaving him. Can she throw away the best sex and the best friend she's ever had?
When Maddy's world falls apart, it's only natural that she turns to Max for support. But fall into his bed? Never until one steamy night, that is. And having had a taste of him, she's hungry for more. Then she has the chance to resume her career, although it means leaving him. Can she throw away the best sex and the best friend she's ever had?
224 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2007
4 people are currently reading
235 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Mayberry
162 books1,151 followersSarah Mayberry was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is the middle of three children. From the time that she first “stole” paper from kindergarten and stapled it together to make “books,” Sarah has always wanted to be a writer. In line with this ambition, on graduation from high school she completed a bachelor of arts degree majoring in professional writing, then sat down to write a book. When inspiration didn’t strike, she began to wonder if, perhaps, she needed to live some life first before writing about it.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
This still left the burning question of how to pay the rent. She found her way into trade journalism, working off the principle that it was better to write anything for a living than nothing at all. Her time there lead to the opportunity to launch a new decorator magazine for one of Australia’s major retailers, an invaluable and grueling experience that she found very rewarding.
But the opportunity to write fiction for a living soon lured Sarah away. She took up a post as storyliner on Australia’s longest running soap, Neighbours. Over two years she helped plot more than 240 hours of television, as well as writing freelance scripts. She remembers her time with the show very fondly — especially the dirty jokes and laughter around the story table — and still writes scripts on a freelance basis.
In 2003 she relocated to New Zealand for her partner’s work. There Sarah served as storyliner and story editor on the country’s top-rating drama, Shortland Street, before quitting to pursue writing full time.
Sarah picked up a love of romance novels from both her grandmothers, and has submitted manuscripts to Harlequin many times over the years. She credits the invaluable story structuring experience she learned on Neighbours as the key to her eventual success — along with the patience of her fantastic editor, Wanda.
Sarah is revoltingly happy with her partner of twelve years, Chris, who is a talented scriptwriter. Not only does he offer fantastic advice and solutions to writing problems, but he’s also handsome, funny and sexy. When she’s not gushing over him, she loves to read romance and fantasy novels, go to the movies, sew and cook for her friends. She has also become a recent convert to Pilates, which she knows she should do more often.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 28, 2009
I'm not feeling inspired to write a review, so I'll just sum up my biggest "problem" with this story:
"She's a mess. She needs you. You love her. Not exactly the best basis for a relationship."
Those words were uttered by the hero's sister, and I couldn't agree more. I'm sorry to say that I finished the book without truly believing that the heroine wasn't using the hero as a "security blanket". Which was a pity, because he was a wonderful guy and deserved better.
"She's a mess. She needs you. You love her. Not exactly the best basis for a relationship."
Those words were uttered by the hero's sister, and I couldn't agree more. I'm sorry to say that I finished the book without truly believing that the heroine wasn't using the hero as a "security blanket". Which was a pity, because he was a wonderful guy and deserved better.
November 28, 2009
I haven't read/listened to many HQ Romances, but Amorous Liaisons is definitely my favorite to date. I was a little skeptical at the beginning knowing the hero was an ex-ballet dancer, but that was my own naivety because Max turned out to be smokin' hot!
The heroine is Maddy...a prima ballerina who, at 29 years old, is told by physicians she can no longer dance. Devastated, Maddy turns to Max, an old roommate she had become close friends with 8 years before. As the story progresses, Maddy realizes her feelings for Max are moving beyond that of friendship; whereas Max's feelings are simply stronger, as he has silently loved her for years. The turning point for Maddy is when she spies Max "taking matters into hand" in the shower. She stands transfixed as it is the most erotic thing she has ever seen. Later that night, when they are dancing at a techno club, Maddy is all over Max and they end up having sex up against a wall outside. (That might sound cheesy to some but I found the scene quite believable. From what I hear, dancing to techno music is a major stimulant to the libido.) Unsure of each other's feelings, they both try to play the incident down; however, that proves to be a problem as they are too attracted to each other AND live under the same roof.
I felt that Sarah Mayberry did an excellent job of portraying Maddy as a heartbroken woman...confused and unsure of what to do with herself now that dancing is no longer her life. She has a few meltdowns and setbacks, but nothing so mental that can't be cured by the passage of time and the love of an awesome man. And that awesome man...WOW! I'll try never again to judge a book by it's cover, as I now crave a hero with a French accent who wears tights!
The heroine is Maddy...a prima ballerina who, at 29 years old, is told by physicians she can no longer dance. Devastated, Maddy turns to Max, an old roommate she had become close friends with 8 years before. As the story progresses, Maddy realizes her feelings for Max are moving beyond that of friendship; whereas Max's feelings are simply stronger, as he has silently loved her for years. The turning point for Maddy is when she spies Max "taking matters into hand" in the shower. She stands transfixed as it is the most erotic thing she has ever seen. Later that night, when they are dancing at a techno club, Maddy is all over Max and they end up having sex up against a wall outside. (That might sound cheesy to some but I found the scene quite believable. From what I hear, dancing to techno music is a major stimulant to the libido.) Unsure of each other's feelings, they both try to play the incident down; however, that proves to be a problem as they are too attracted to each other AND live under the same roof.
I felt that Sarah Mayberry did an excellent job of portraying Maddy as a heartbroken woman...confused and unsure of what to do with herself now that dancing is no longer her life. She has a few meltdowns and setbacks, but nothing so mental that can't be cured by the passage of time and the love of an awesome man. And that awesome man...WOW! I'll try never again to judge a book by it's cover, as I now crave a hero with a French accent who wears tights!
August 15, 2009
[Audiobook: "Amorous Liaisons" (HQ Blaze#425) by Sara Mayberry; Gabra Zachman/Reader = 4*]
To my pleasant surprise, I ended up enjoying this HQ Blaze more than (most?!). I remember passing it by quite a few times when picking up the next in the audio series [*Hmm?!: french hero - "eh"; former male dancer turned artsy hero - "eh"; maybe too beta?! - "double-eh";)*]. Of course, because it's "Murphy's Law," it's the one I should have listened to a long time ago. This story reads like a 1950 romantic film in "feel," if you left out the obvious difference of the sexually explicit content.
Maddy Green has just been given the final axe to her dancing career when she is not unexpectedly let go from her dance company after sustaining a permanent injury. Dance is all she's ever known and without her dance identity she's feeling vulnerable and suddenly directionless in her life. After a mental review of "What's out there now?!" Maddy immediately can't resist seeking out her long time friend, Max Laurent, the man whose always been there for her throughout her ups and downs. Max, a former dancer himself who'd had his career cut short due to injury, is shocked to find Maddy suddenly resituated in his life once again. He's not certain how to take her reappearance, as, although he's always been her friend, he's always been in love with her and enduring her "surprise" re-emergence in his life could be more than he can take. He's just now feeling after years that he's managed to tuck his emotions for Maddy deeply away in a "box"; and energetically inspired enough to pursue his career post-dance as a bronze sculpture artist. Now *wham*, here's Maddy again, rocking his world, and of course he can't turn her away without playing "knight in shining armor." Maddy and Max have had such a close relationship in the past, she thinks nothing of crashing in his bed again as a purely platonic bedmate. It's all Max can take to tamp down his libido when he wakes with Maddy curled up to him. Maddy is fast and furiously re-tangling herself into his every day life while she works to mentally deal with where to go now with who she is and what to do minus the dance world. When Max has his "live artist" cancel on him in the middle of his creative push to produce enough of his art for an expected "showing," Maddy volunteers to stand in. Well, needless to say, after Maddy prevails in her insistence despite Max's stringent objections, hours of focus on the woman he's secretly loved’s nude form . . . causes him to retreat at day’s end for a cold shower. When even that fails to alleviate the obvious (and painful) problem, we are treated to the author’s well-written (one of the best I’ve read!) scene of Max's imaginative "handling" of the situation. All I can say here is *yum*! :) When unbeknownst to Max, Maddy also accidentally gets an eye-popping view of Max's "cure" for his not to be ignored problem, she can't get the sexy image of her longtime "friend" out of her head, which leads to her own revelations that have been locked away firmly in her heart.
These two go through a quiet and subtle "dance" of their own while doing all they can to protect both their hearts from being broken by truly the best friend they've ever had -- each other. My empathy extended so easily to both of them, and truly they are both the epitome of the types of romance H/h that I consider very "grown-up" in how they handle their emotions: Gently and unselfishly toward each other, while telling themselves to suck it up and deal with the fact the other doesn't think of them in "that" way. Always choosing the welfare of their "friend" over rocking the boat and perhaps spoiling the part of their relationship they are both sure of as well as willing to ALMOST settle for. I so enjoyed their journey to "play the hand they are dealt" with each other.
The story has fleshed out secondary characters (Max's concerned sister, and his relationship with her as well as his young autistic neice). Mayberry keeps the main plotline - the love between Maddy and Max - front and center and still fleshes out enough background "glue" to keep the story plausible and on track. If you can enjoy a mellow love story of discovery without the addition of two protagonists that have a need to "find their love" via constant bickering and one-upsmanship, this is a good one. Read it when you need one with *sigh*-worthy heartbreak and rediscovery, yet some smoothly titillating sexiness and of course an eventual HEA.
K.
To my pleasant surprise, I ended up enjoying this HQ Blaze more than (most?!). I remember passing it by quite a few times when picking up the next in the audio series [*Hmm?!: french hero - "eh"; former male dancer turned artsy hero - "eh"; maybe too beta?! - "double-eh";)*]. Of course, because it's "Murphy's Law," it's the one I should have listened to a long time ago. This story reads like a 1950 romantic film in "feel," if you left out the obvious difference of the sexually explicit content.
Maddy Green has just been given the final axe to her dancing career when she is not unexpectedly let go from her dance company after sustaining a permanent injury. Dance is all she's ever known and without her dance identity she's feeling vulnerable and suddenly directionless in her life. After a mental review of "What's out there now?!" Maddy immediately can't resist seeking out her long time friend, Max Laurent, the man whose always been there for her throughout her ups and downs. Max, a former dancer himself who'd had his career cut short due to injury, is shocked to find Maddy suddenly resituated in his life once again. He's not certain how to take her reappearance, as, although he's always been her friend, he's always been in love with her and enduring her "surprise" re-emergence in his life could be more than he can take. He's just now feeling after years that he's managed to tuck his emotions for Maddy deeply away in a "box"; and energetically inspired enough to pursue his career post-dance as a bronze sculpture artist. Now *wham*, here's Maddy again, rocking his world, and of course he can't turn her away without playing "knight in shining armor." Maddy and Max have had such a close relationship in the past, she thinks nothing of crashing in his bed again as a purely platonic bedmate. It's all Max can take to tamp down his libido when he wakes with Maddy curled up to him. Maddy is fast and furiously re-tangling herself into his every day life while she works to mentally deal with where to go now with who she is and what to do minus the dance world. When Max has his "live artist" cancel on him in the middle of his creative push to produce enough of his art for an expected "showing," Maddy volunteers to stand in. Well, needless to say, after Maddy prevails in her insistence despite Max's stringent objections, hours of focus on the woman he's secretly loved’s nude form . . . causes him to retreat at day’s end for a cold shower. When even that fails to alleviate the obvious (and painful) problem, we are treated to the author’s well-written (one of the best I’ve read!) scene of Max's imaginative "handling" of the situation. All I can say here is *yum*! :) When unbeknownst to Max, Maddy also accidentally gets an eye-popping view of Max's "cure" for his not to be ignored problem, she can't get the sexy image of her longtime "friend" out of her head, which leads to her own revelations that have been locked away firmly in her heart.
These two go through a quiet and subtle "dance" of their own while doing all they can to protect both their hearts from being broken by truly the best friend they've ever had -- each other. My empathy extended so easily to both of them, and truly they are both the epitome of the types of romance H/h that I consider very "grown-up" in how they handle their emotions: Gently and unselfishly toward each other, while telling themselves to suck it up and deal with the fact the other doesn't think of them in "that" way. Always choosing the welfare of their "friend" over rocking the boat and perhaps spoiling the part of their relationship they are both sure of as well as willing to ALMOST settle for. I so enjoyed their journey to "play the hand they are dealt" with each other.
The story has fleshed out secondary characters (Max's concerned sister, and his relationship with her as well as his young autistic neice). Mayberry keeps the main plotline - the love between Maddy and Max - front and center and still fleshes out enough background "glue" to keep the story plausible and on track. If you can enjoy a mellow love story of discovery without the addition of two protagonists that have a need to "find their love" via constant bickering and one-upsmanship, this is a good one. Read it when you need one with *sigh*-worthy heartbreak and rediscovery, yet some smoothly titillating sexiness and of course an eventual HEA.
K.
May 1, 2010
I went into this expecting a lot. With such good reviews and an ex-ballet dancer hero, I was expecting something tremendous. Unfortunately, it was nothing like that.
It was a woman, Maddy who has lost her meaning of life (ballet) and shacks up with her old roommate (who is not gay, though he was a dancer), Max. Now, Max has always been in love with Maddy, even when they were living together and sleeping with each other without actually doing it(I know, weird masochistic French people stuff, I guess). The problem was, Max was such a great guy, but it felt like he was getting ripped off by getting Maddy. She was so not ready for a relationship and only needed a security blanket to get her out of her mess.
Now, Mr. Security Blanket is such a hottie. He's a sculptor and an ex-dancer, AND he's great with kids.
A decent read, but not as amazing as everyone says it is. Though it does follow the friends to lovers set up, which would always have a lot of secret tension to keep from ruining the friendship.
It was a woman, Maddy who has lost her meaning of life (ballet) and shacks up with her old roommate (who is not gay, though he was a dancer), Max. Now, Max has always been in love with Maddy, even when they were living together and sleeping with each other without actually doing it(I know, weird masochistic French people stuff, I guess). The problem was, Max was such a great guy, but it felt like he was getting ripped off by getting Maddy. She was so not ready for a relationship and only needed a security blanket to get her out of her mess.
Now, Mr. Security Blanket is such a hottie. He's a sculptor and an ex-dancer, AND he's great with kids.
A decent read, but not as amazing as everyone says it is. Though it does follow the friends to lovers set up, which would always have a lot of secret tension to keep from ruining the friendship.
January 28, 2011
Maybe Sarah Mayberry should have checked some ballet facts before writing a book about ballet.
She’s a great writer, but this book is a trainwreck.
She’s a great writer, but this book is a trainwreck.
October 15, 2012
Sarah Mayberry is one of my very few category romance autobuys. Her Blazes are my favourites, and she is, in fact, the only Blaze author I'm still reading. After reading the first couple of titles I bought her entire backlist, and I'm doing my best to make them last.
Amorous Liaisons is a particularly good one. Maddy Green's entire life has been consumed by her determination to become a prima ballerina. It's all she's ever cared about, and she's pushed everything else out of her life. She's finally made it, but she doesn't get much time to enjoy it. As the story starts, she is forced to accept that the knee injury she's been battling with is, indeed, bad enough that she won't be able to keep dancing at the top level she's at.
Devastated, Maddy runs to the only person she's ever felt truly close to. She and Max Laurent used to be roommates and best friends when they were starting out as dancers. Max, however, chose to leave Australia and go back to his native France to take care of his father, who'd fallen ill. He stopped dancing, and is now a successful sculptor in Paris. Over the years, his and Maddy's relationship has become pretty distant.
Max is therefore stunned when he finds Maddy waiting for him at his door. He also can't help but still feel some of the love he felt for Maddy all those years ago. Because his leaving Australia wasn't all about his father, it was also about him being madly in love with Maddy and realising she was never going to make room in her life for a romantic relationship.
Max has got a bit of the white knight in him, and he takes Maddy in, and helps her heal. Their closeness is still there, but now, suddenly, Maddy is noticing (and feeling) the romantic tension. But, as Maddy explores new options, will she again close her eyes to anything but her determination to dance?
This was a really yummy, sexy and romantic book. Maddy and Max are fully realised, and their relationship feels real. There's a lot of pain and yearning there, which made reaching their HEA very satisfying.
The relationship felt a bit unbalanced at the beginning, with Maddy in the position of needing comfort and emotional support from Max and not giving anything back. Meanwhile, Max helplessly gives and gives, no matter how much pain it causes him. But that was only the position from which they started. Mayberry obviously realises this is an issue, and it's something they have to work through. Both characters grow, and by the end of the book, their relationship has become a mature, mutually supportive one.
In addition to the relationship, there's a lot about ballet here (and about Max's sculpture, but mostly about the ballet), which I found fascinating. I gather there are a number of issues with some of it (there's a 1-star review in amazon with a detailed critique of this element, by someone who clearly knows a lot about ballet, including Australian ballet), but I don't really know much about the subject, and so was perfectly satisfied by what I got.
Loved it, one of my favourites by Mayberry.
MY GRADE: A B+.
Amorous Liaisons is a particularly good one. Maddy Green's entire life has been consumed by her determination to become a prima ballerina. It's all she's ever cared about, and she's pushed everything else out of her life. She's finally made it, but she doesn't get much time to enjoy it. As the story starts, she is forced to accept that the knee injury she's been battling with is, indeed, bad enough that she won't be able to keep dancing at the top level she's at.
Devastated, Maddy runs to the only person she's ever felt truly close to. She and Max Laurent used to be roommates and best friends when they were starting out as dancers. Max, however, chose to leave Australia and go back to his native France to take care of his father, who'd fallen ill. He stopped dancing, and is now a successful sculptor in Paris. Over the years, his and Maddy's relationship has become pretty distant.
Max is therefore stunned when he finds Maddy waiting for him at his door. He also can't help but still feel some of the love he felt for Maddy all those years ago. Because his leaving Australia wasn't all about his father, it was also about him being madly in love with Maddy and realising she was never going to make room in her life for a romantic relationship.
Max has got a bit of the white knight in him, and he takes Maddy in, and helps her heal. Their closeness is still there, but now, suddenly, Maddy is noticing (and feeling) the romantic tension. But, as Maddy explores new options, will she again close her eyes to anything but her determination to dance?
This was a really yummy, sexy and romantic book. Maddy and Max are fully realised, and their relationship feels real. There's a lot of pain and yearning there, which made reaching their HEA very satisfying.
The relationship felt a bit unbalanced at the beginning, with Maddy in the position of needing comfort and emotional support from Max and not giving anything back. Meanwhile, Max helplessly gives and gives, no matter how much pain it causes him. But that was only the position from which they started. Mayberry obviously realises this is an issue, and it's something they have to work through. Both characters grow, and by the end of the book, their relationship has become a mature, mutually supportive one.
In addition to the relationship, there's a lot about ballet here (and about Max's sculpture, but mostly about the ballet), which I found fascinating. I gather there are a number of issues with some of it (there's a 1-star review in amazon with a detailed critique of this element, by someone who clearly knows a lot about ballet, including Australian ballet), but I don't really know much about the subject, and so was perfectly satisfied by what I got.
Loved it, one of my favourites by Mayberry.
MY GRADE: A B+.
June 10, 2012
Setting – Paris.
Theme – ballet, passion, grief, new beginnings, love
Characters –
Maddy Green – 29 years old… prima ballerina – Ballet is everything to her. But she is at the end of her career, she hurt her knee, and the company doctor will not release her back…
Max Laurent – 30 years old – until 22 was in a ballet company, just starting out. But he gave up his dream when his father was in a car accident and a paraplegic – he returned to Paris to care for his father. He started working on sculpting and casting, and with his father’s death, he took an apartment with a studio - he’s giving himself a year to determine if he can make a living with his art.
Charlotte - Max’s sister – who sees much. She has a traveling husband, and 2 children – the three year old diagnosed with autism.
Summary –
Max and Maddy (and 3 other ballerinas) lived together in their early 20s. And though Maddy was attracted to Max, she decided she wanted him as a long term friend, not a short term lover… and they lived, laughed, and supported one another. And Max loved Maddy, but did not want to lose her – and when he finally worked up the nerve to tell her he loved her, and planned a seduction, she comes home in great excitement at being offered a place in a French ballet corp – and he let her go to follow her dream.
And when Maddy’s career is over, she thinks of Max… and decides to go to Max – that he would help her feel better… and between her grieving and not knowing what to do next, she and Max share a physical relationship. She models for him (naked) – for his sculptures of dance. After a few months, Max – loving her – knowing that her feelings can’t be depended on in her state of mind, finds a ballet company of ‘not perfect’ ballerinas, who perform to eaches strengths – He sends her to them, and cuts her off (too hard to stay connected if he can’t have all of her). She on the other hand had just realized she loved him, that it is not a temporary lust… and is hurt he has cut her off. 3 months later, he has his showing, and she is coming. His sister pushes him to tell her how he feels, to realize he needs to find out how she feels… and he makes one more piece for the show, a piece to show how he fully feels – she had started ballet at the age of 4, and loved it from the beginning – his piece was of the child at a barre and captured a look of wonder and pleasure. She sees it, and knows his feelings, and is finally able to share her own… ahhhh
Theme – ballet, passion, grief, new beginnings, love
Characters –
Maddy Green – 29 years old… prima ballerina – Ballet is everything to her. But she is at the end of her career, she hurt her knee, and the company doctor will not release her back…
Max Laurent – 30 years old – until 22 was in a ballet company, just starting out. But he gave up his dream when his father was in a car accident and a paraplegic – he returned to Paris to care for his father. He started working on sculpting and casting, and with his father’s death, he took an apartment with a studio - he’s giving himself a year to determine if he can make a living with his art.
Charlotte - Max’s sister – who sees much. She has a traveling husband, and 2 children – the three year old diagnosed with autism.
Summary –
Max and Maddy (and 3 other ballerinas) lived together in their early 20s. And though Maddy was attracted to Max, she decided she wanted him as a long term friend, not a short term lover… and they lived, laughed, and supported one another. And Max loved Maddy, but did not want to lose her – and when he finally worked up the nerve to tell her he loved her, and planned a seduction, she comes home in great excitement at being offered a place in a French ballet corp – and he let her go to follow her dream.
And when Maddy’s career is over, she thinks of Max… and decides to go to Max – that he would help her feel better… and between her grieving and not knowing what to do next, she and Max share a physical relationship. She models for him (naked) – for his sculptures of dance. After a few months, Max – loving her – knowing that her feelings can’t be depended on in her state of mind, finds a ballet company of ‘not perfect’ ballerinas, who perform to eaches strengths – He sends her to them, and cuts her off (too hard to stay connected if he can’t have all of her). She on the other hand had just realized she loved him, that it is not a temporary lust… and is hurt he has cut her off. 3 months later, he has his showing, and she is coming. His sister pushes him to tell her how he feels, to realize he needs to find out how she feels… and he makes one more piece for the show, a piece to show how he fully feels – she had started ballet at the age of 4, and loved it from the beginning – his piece was of the child at a barre and captured a look of wonder and pleasure. She sees it, and knows his feelings, and is finally able to share her own… ahhhh
July 12, 2009
I didn't like this book, and I think it was a combination of a lot of things. Maddy's character was supposed to be strong and fun, but the audiobook narrator made her into a soft-spoken person that didn't match the tone she should have had. It was also like a cliff notes of a romance, it kept doing the "one month later" or "a few days later" thing, which was annoying. Also, because I was reading another Sarah Mayberry the same time I was listening to this one, it was really sad to see some reused dialogue.
Edit: Somehow I completely forgot to mention this in the review, but one thing that bothered me was the guy's inhuman stamina. I had to check a few times to make sure that I wasn't listening to a paranormal, because what he was doing was physically impossible. It drove me batty that he could be up and ready to go in under a minute (not even exaggerating there!).
Edit: Somehow I completely forgot to mention this in the review, but one thing that bothered me was the guy's inhuman stamina. I had to check a few times to make sure that I wasn't listening to a paranormal, because what he was doing was physically impossible. It drove me batty that he could be up and ready to go in under a minute (not even exaggerating there!).
May 5, 2009
This was one Blaze novel I was glad to have read. You really fell in love with Max and Maddy and their struggles with their lives. I really found I couldn't put this one down. It was nice and spicy too, but not overly so, that the plot vanished. Great bedtime read.
November 18, 2017
I love every single one of Sarah Mayberry’s books and this is no exception.
June 29, 2019
DNF. I didn't like the premise of this book.
April 16, 2018
The best i've read in a long while, it's got passion, love, good story and characters.
April 15, 2011
I enjoy Mayberry's books and will pull her first out of a stack of Blaze books. I especially enjoyed Below the Belt, which features a couple involved in the boxing world. This one, however, not so much. And it had nothing to do with ballet, although I felt the whole ballet-poses-in-the-nude scenarios a little preposterous.
Nope, the reason I didn't feel this one as much as others was the lack of communication between two supposedly best friends, enough so that they stay away from each other for 3 months, in different countries no less, over misunderstanding.
I totally dig the French-Australian connection.
Nope, the reason I didn't feel this one as much as others was the lack of communication between two supposedly best friends, enough so that they stay away from each other for 3 months, in different countries no less, over misunderstanding.
I totally dig the French-Australian connection.
April 17, 2009
I loved the concept of a prima ballerina being forced into retirement due to an injury. She turns to another former dancer in her time of grieving and confusion. Friends turn to lovers....classic! I really, really liked this one.
October 3, 2010
I liked this book for so many reasons...the primary one being the tiny glimpse into the world of the ballet. Also, I appreciated the introduction of an autistic child-a reality for so many readers, I am sure.
A sweet, steamy tale of a man in love for over ten years.
A sweet, steamy tale of a man in love for over ten years.
December 29, 2012
Max and Maddy. She's a ballet dancer who has to retire due to injury and he's a struggling artist in Paris who needs a muse. I called the ending pretty early on, career-wise, but how they get there works. Love Sarah Mayberry and love a friends-to-lovers story.
August 26, 2013
Love the story line, was not expecting to love it at first glance, but at the end love it, but would not be something I would look back immediately again until maybe in few months time when perhaps I am a bit bored.
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August 24, 20093.5 out of 5
January 3, 2011
Sexual affair between 2 former ballet dancers (and old friends) leads to love...in Paris!
July 25, 2011
The familiar friends to lovers trope, mixed with career transformation. Can love replace a career and provide total fulfillment? I think not.
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