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Mouth to Mouth

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Police detective Russ Evans gets more than he had bargained for when he is assigned to watch gorgeous coffee shop owner Laurel Wilkins, supposedly the latest target of con man Trevor Dean, in a sensuous and witty novel of mistaken identity and romance. Original.

280 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

58 people are currently reading
2104 people want to read

About the author

Erin McCarthy

215 books4,826 followers
USA Today and New York Times Bestselling author Erin McCarthy sold her first book in 2002 and has since written over a hundred novels and novellas in teen fiction, new adult, and adult romance. Erin has a special weakness for high-heeled boots, beaches and martinis. She lives in Ohio with her family, two grumpy cats and a socially awkward dog.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
Profile Image for Shawna.
3,803 reviews4,734 followers
January 3, 2015
5+ stars – Contemporary Romance

This is a very cute, funny, spicy romantic read with a sexy, rugged, alpha detective who finds himself completely out of his element when he goes all soft and mushy for a woman he meets on his latest police investigation. The last thing Russ wants or needs is a relationship because between his demanding job and raising his teenage brother Sean, there’s no time left for a personal life. Laurel is tired of being the perpetual “good girl” and living a somewhat sheltered life as a result of being deaf since childhood. She’s looking for some wild, no-holds-barred, no-strings-attached sex and lucky for her, hot-as-sin, testosterone-dripping cop Russ seems the perfect man to give her exactly what she needs.

This is the first romance book I’ve read that featured a hearing impaired heroine, and she’s utterly adorable and funny as hell. Laurel’s female insecurities and insights are so genuine, honest, relatable, and flat-out hilarious, and I just loved her character. The sexual chemistry and romantic development between Laurel and Russ was realistic, well written, sweet, and steamy. There were sooo many laugh out loud moments in this book, particularly some very humorous parts centered around Laurel’s overweight cat Ferris and Russ fighting to establish dominance that had me just about falling off the couch with laughter.

Mouth to Mouth is a very sexy, fun, charming read with a great H/H, lots of humor, touching moments, and steamy romance, and I highly recommend it for contemporary romance lovers and fans of Erin McCarthy. Big 5 stars!

I loved the “Pixie sticks are like cocaine for kids” line, and Russ’s candy obsession was hilarious and oh so yummy hot!

Profile Image for Laura Brown.
Author 10 books348 followers
May 23, 2018
As a person with a hearing loss, I was excited to see another story with a deaf character. As a person with a hearing loss, I couldn't finish this book.

I didn't make it much past chapter two because of how the hearing loss was handled. Laurel speaks for the first time but it's not immediately noted her deafness in her voice, which would be obvious. She lipreads like a champ, which is 100% unrealistic. She doesn't miss much, unless the author wanted to use it for emphasis rather than reality. Laurel is a hearing person's deaf character. There was nothing believable about her, she was created through an audist and ablist lens.
Profile Image for Mo.
1,404 reviews2 followers
November 18, 2019
A cute read. If I read it 6 or 10 years ago, I might have given it more stars but it was a bit too predictable for me. Nothing much happening in it. Main characters were nice as were the secondary ones ... too much sex? Jeez, who would have ever thought I might think that about books but sometimes I want a bit more of a storyline and substance.





Profile Image for Corrine.
244 reviews24 followers
September 8, 2009
It’s very rare that I come across one five star book in a whole month, let alone two in one weekend. Saturday, I was fed up with reading book after book where the protagonists spend half the book bickering or just hating each other. It seems like no writer is willing to introduce genuine emotional tension, so they manufacture some reason that the hero and heroine can’t get along. Which is fine – once in a while. But book, after book, after book seemed to be like that, so I took a much-need break. Luckily for me, Shawna had just reviewed this book, and it sounded exactly like what I was looking for.

And it was, all that and more.

I won’t waste time summarizing the story; I just want to rehash everything I loved about it.

-Russ, the hero, a strong, no-nonsense hunky cop with an ooey gooey center – especially when it comes to Laura. I swear I melted into a pile of mush every time he called her bunny. His thriftiness was pretty funny, too, though understandable on a cop’s salary when he’s raising his younger brother.

-Laura, our intrepid heroine, who was left deaf after a childhood bout with meningitis, but has tried very hard to live a normal life despite it. Although she’s kind of at a crossroads when she meets Russ – she left college to help her mom after her dad passed away – she definitely knows what she doesn’t want from life, and that’s to continue on the path she’s on. Her blunt proposition to Russ left me chuckling, and her spirit, independence and spunk were definitely something I admired and wish I saw more of in Romancelandia (as opposed to just being told the heroine is independent and spunky without any evidence).

-Russ’ relationship with Sean, his younger brother. I loved that it wasn’t completely up to Laura to help them re-establish a normal relationship, and that each brother bent a little to repair it.

-That the villain didn’t veer from his character and immediately begin trying to kill Laura. He was an identity theft and just wanted to get his hands on Laura’s money, not hurt her, and he didn’t even try until pushed into a corner. That was solid characterization, and I’m glad McCarthy didn’t try to convince me that this guy could go from thief to killer without any provocation.

-Laura’s cat, who was a great secondary character and helped show Laura (and me) just how sweet Russ was. After all, if that cat bit me before, during or after sex, I don’t think I’d have been so nice to him.

-And, finally, the romance. Russ and Laura were made for each other, and although there were times that both of them doubted that they could have any future, I was left with no doubt in my mind that they were deeply, irrevocably in love and going to live a long, happy, humorous and sexy life together. A



Profile Image for Mojca.
2,132 reviews168 followers
December 6, 2009
Russ Evans is floored when the woman he and his partner have been watching, hoping a con artist would approach her, jumps up from her table, calls him by his name, and hugs him. What the heck? How does the woman know him? And what does she mean she was waiting for him?

Well, maybe she meant that she was waiting for him because they had a date, and she knows him because they've been chatting online for the past month or so.
Only that Russ doesn't even own a computer and even if he did he wouldn't have a clue what to do with it.

Laurel Wilkins, sweet, fuzzy bunny-like Laurel, has been set up, but she doesn't mind, the real Russ Evans is so much better than the creep sending her emails. Although he's starting to get annoying with his preaching about never meeting strange men online or in person, yadda yadda yadda. Well, maybe he can protect her...And make her fantasies of being wild come true.


Sorry to say, I expected more from this book. Sure, it was sweet in places. Sure, it was funny in places. Sure, it was hot in several places. And it did convey a good message for this era - about the perils of meeting strangers online...But still there was so much stalling in between all these sweet, funny, hot places that just didn't make for a constantly exciting and entertaining read.

The hero and heroine were walking contradictions for one. Though she more than him. He was just being the usual cop guy who wants the girl, but doesn't want to want the girl, convinced she could and should do better than him, constantly putting his foot in his mouth around her...
While she first came through as a strong, resilient woman despite her handicap, while the next she reverted into a spoiled, childish brat with absolutely no sense whatsoever, and threw tantrums when he tried talking reason.
I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it.
And I just didn't feel the connection between them. Sure they were cute together, but it just didn't convey romance. And sure they were hot together, but I feel there was too much sex and not enough love-story.

The three secondary stories (about Russ and his relationship with his brother, about the villain and his relationship with his latest victim, and about Russ' partner and Laurel's coworker), just kepr the pacing slow and sluggish. Cutting on the page count would've done this story a ton of good.

Good suspense subplot, though, and severely underdeveloped. I got the feeling the whole deal was inserted only as filler and as an afterthought. And the rushed "grand" finale didn't help matters.

I really wanted to like this story, but it just didn't deliver. I definitely expected more.
Profile Image for Miss Kim.
535 reviews141 followers
September 15, 2009
LOVED this book! It was like eating cotton candy and getting a secret thrill that tastes so good but I shouldn’t be eating it I had so much to do, but I couldn’t put this book down. Russ, Russ, Russ. He is currently my favorite hero. The always-do-the-right-thing cop that is a little put upon. He ranks right there with Ben Lawson from ‘Talk Me Down’.

He’s the guardian of his 13 year old brother since the death of his parents. He has been struggling with handling his own grief in the past year since their sudden deaths, as well as trying to raise a teen.

I just loved Laurel, too. She was very intelligent, spunky, and I think a good match for Russ. She has been deaf since she was three years old due to an illness. She went to college for a year before having to return home due to the death of her father. Now a few years later, she’s kind of waking up and realizing she needs to get a move on with her life.

When they meet there is instant attraction. It is kind of funny how they meet and strike up a deal for a sex only fling. They then discover they have deep feelings for each other, yet don’t know what the other is thinking. Their affair just keeps going on and neither one talks about it.

The sex scenes are very steamy. Let’s just say I won’t look at any pixie sticks again with out turning a little pink.

I just loved how protective Russ was of Laurel. His nickname for her is ‘bunny’. I just thought that was so cute and original.

Laurel has a giant cat that hates Russ. Russ and the cat’s relationship is pretty funny.

Get this one today! You won’t regret it!


Profile Image for K..
96 reviews16 followers
October 2, 2009
"Mouth to Mouth" by Erin McCarthy; Present Day Contemporary Romance (with a splash of suspense) 4-1/2*

Russ and Laurel


After so many angsty and tortured heros, it was a nice switch to read this somewhat real life romance. Russ, a meat and potatoes/"every man" cop is coincidentally thrown together with Laurel, a sexily sweet girl next door (although of the "mansion next door" set) while investigating a local con who targets women and rolls them of their money. Ironically, the con that Laurel was supposed to meet at the local Starbucks after some on-line flirtation got a big kick out of using those local cops' real names for his aliases -- a bit of a jab in the ribs, so to speak, with a little "catch me if you can" on the side. On this occasion, Laurel mistakes "Russ" the cop for "Russ" the conman. Fortunately, the only one's confused are Russ and Laurel, because we the readers have no problem understanding what's going down. Adding to Laurel's overall general appeal and Russ's overwhelming instict to protect her is the fact that Laurel happens to be deaf. It adds both interest and a wonderful empathy factor to Laurel's need throughout the story to prove she's as capable as the rest of us when it comes to taking care of herself. As her and Russ's relationship develops, I was able to see the point of both of them when it came right down to how they handled themselves and issues that came up.

This book has been reviewed a couple of times recently, and suffice it to say that I'm so glad both Shawna and Kim recommended it so enthusiastically, inspiring me to give it a read. It was quick and very satisfying after my long and steady reading on J.R. Ward's dark and angsty BDB series. Just what the doctor ordered! ;) Although Russ and Laurel do fall into bed quickly with one another under the not unique guise of "it's just a fling," it still flowed nicely as the characters didn't immediately admit they were falling in love and when each of them began to suspect they were falling for the other, they restrained the verbalizing of the sentiments long enough to question their own sensibility as to whether it was genuine due to the fast path it was taking. Of course, we the readers KNOW it's the real thing (which is part of what makes the book good), but McCarthy's making them question it gave it more validity and believeability somehow.

Since this is my first McCarthy, I was pleasantly surprised at the fact she has a sweet sense of humor (always a favorite in romances for me). Although I didn't find her as "laugh out loud" as Christy Craig (for example), she did resonate in the same way and I found myself with a dumb looking grin on my face throughout the book. Her characters and situations were that pleasant feeling and she even threw in a protective "fat cat" that the reader can love. This book has a bit of an early Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie feel to it, only with a lot more sex appeal. The chemistry and playfulness shown between this couple is classic romantic comedy. The serious times when Russ is confronted with issues raising his 13-year old brother and Laurel is faced with grappling with independence issues due to her hearing impairment in a hearing world fit right in as the poignant moments all comedic romances have to keep them from becoming too slapstick.

Overall this was a fast and fun read. I'm glad I didn't miss it. If you want just a real heartfelt and cuddly romance book, this is it.

Mainstream graphically depicted sexual scenes more numerous than mainstream "R" romance; graphic language used minimally; not recommended for teens under 17-years of age
Profile Image for Julianna.
Author 5 books1,343 followers
October 19, 2009
Reviewed for THC Reviews
"3.5 stars" Mouth to Mouth was a pretty good book, but wasn't as amazing as I was expecting it to be based on other readers' glowing reviews. Normally, I'm not overly influenced by reviews, because I have found books that others hated which I loved and vice versa. This time, I must have been influenced more than usual though, because I think I went into reading this one with somewhat high expectations, only to finish it feeling a little disappointed and oddly unsatisfied. Maybe if I hadn't been expecting so much from it, I would have felt differently, but I can certainly see why others did enjoy the book. It has two likeable main characters, lots of steamy love scenes, and other than the teen angst and rebellion of Russ's brother, Sean, which causes some friction between them, it is what I would characterize as an easy, fluff read. And therein may lie the problem. All of Erin McCarthy's stories that I've read so far have been pretty light, and I generally have a preference for ones that contain deeper, more meaningful relationship development.

Like the last book I read by Ms. McCarthy, Mouth to Mouth has the hero and heroine falling into bed very early after only knowing each other for a matter of days, and both only intend for it to be a fling, but of course, it ends up turning into more than they bargained for. In my opinion, this plotline is way overused in contemporary romances, making it rather tiresome to me, and since I've never been into casual sexual encounters, it is one that doesn't really resonate with me on a personal level either. Granted the love scenes had an appealing spiciness to them, including one that involved the fun, creative use of candy buttons and pixy stix, but ultimately, having the wild sex type of beginning tends to diminish the emotional connection that I feel both for, and between, the characters, making it nothing more than merely hot sex for me. The overall premise of the story was pretty good, but the execution just felt very ordinary to me, like I'd read it many times before, only with different characters in a different setting. It simply seemed to lack the uniqueness and originality to suck me in and really engage my attention, which might seem strange for me to say since the heroine is deaf (only the second deaf heroine I can recall ever reading), but I'll address that shortly. I certainly didn't dislike Mouth to Mouth, but neither did I feel like I couldn't put it down or have any particular excitement about picking it back up either.

The hero and heroine, Russ and Laurel, are both likeable characters, but I never felt like I truly understood what made either of them tick. Russ is a tough-guy cop, who lost his parents in an accident a year earlier and is struggling to raise his teenage brother who is acting out rebelliously because of the tragedy. I liked that Russ was caring and committed enough to take on the responsibility for his brother, even though Sean was being a pain in the butt. I also liked Russ's protective nature toward Laurel, but just like her, I thought that his protectiveness could be borderline overbearing at times and often came out like he was speaking to a child. Laurel is a wealthy deaf woman who has become the target of a con-man who is out to bilk rich ladies out of their money. She seems to be caught between the deaf and hearing worlds, and this is why I think she never stood out to me like I expected she would. Even though Laurel is deaf, she functions with virtually no problems at all in the hearing world, which on the one hand, showed that she was very capable and able to live a pretty normal life in spite of her disability, but on the other hand, I thought it took away some of the uniqueness of her character. Laurel was constantly trying to assert her independence with Russ, saying that she was never really allowed to do what she wanted to because of her disability, but to me it seemed like it was more herself that was holding her back than circumstances. Just like Russ and her mother, I too felt like she was a bit naïve and too trusting at times. Overall, Laurel was never a very well-defined character for me. In fact, I felt that both Russ and Laurel's backstories and personalities were ripe with depth that was waiting to be plumbed but sadly never was, which is why I ended up liking but not loving them.

The”suspense” part of the plot was an interesting set-up, but very light and a couple of times I thought that it stretched the bounds of credibility just a bit. At least the revelation of the villain's secret identity was something that I didn't see coming. The surprise side romance of Russ and Laurel's best friends, Jerry and Cat, was rather amusing since they're complete opposites. There were a couple of family moments between Russ and Sean that I thought were pretty realistically rendered. I liked that at the heart of it all Sean seemed like a good kid who'd been dealt a bad hand, but in my opinion, he was a little too worldly for a thirteen year old. Laurel's overweight cat, Ferris, who is initially less than enthusiastic about Russ invading his space, was pretty funny. I also enjoyed the scene when Russ finally declares his love and thought it was quite romantic. Overall, Mouth to Mouth had some fairly entertaining moments that made it a worthwhile read. It just wasn't entirely to my liking from a personal preference standpoint, and I think the character's personalities were a little too different from my own and not explored fully enough for me to truly appreciate them. I think the book had great potential and I really wanted to love it, but in the end it just didn't quite reach that level for me. However, anyone who enjoys light, steamy stories, but isn't bothered by the hook-up-now, ask-questions-later approach to romance will probably enjoy it quite a bit.
Profile Image for Kathrynn.
1,184 reviews
September 20, 2009
4 1/2 Stars! This was a nice, modern romance with a hint of suspense thrown in the mix. Stir the pot and toss in some really hot scenes, comical dialogue and that sums of this little romance set in Cleveland, Ohio--in winter. Brrr. The cold temperature is mentioned in several places, so I felt it, too.

Nicely written. Neat characters: Laurel and Russ. Laurel was a deaf woman, age 25, who was finally ready to get out into the world and live. She used her mom as an excuse, but when her mom's character entered the book, I liked her! Nicely done. Russ was a police officer and had a lot on his plate with suddenly finding himself a parent for his 13 year-old brother. Both characters developed nicely throughout this sweet romance. The suspense added to the plot, but played a minor role. There was a secondary romance that came to life between the pages, but that's all I can say without posting spoilers.

Big thanks to everyone who recommended this book to me!

Edit: Kinda bothered me that Laurel's dad left her the family house and not his wife--Laurel's mom. That was weird. Her parents owned that house together and it didn't seem right that the dad gave it to Laurel. Should have gone to the wife, then upon her death to Laurel.
Profile Image for Mahlet.
214 reviews
January 25, 2010
Loved this! Very funny, touching and HOT!

Laurel lost her hearing due to a childhood illness. She went off to college, and tried to assert her independence, studying to be a teacher. Once her father died and left her the house, she returned to her hometown to live with her mother and clerk at a candy shop. She enjoys what she does, but she’s tired of living a safe, unadventurous life…and one that includes no sex in the last 6 years! After some heated internet chatting with a gentleman using the name Russ Evans, the REAL Russ Evans meets Laurel at the coffee shop – and he’s a hot cop! One that’s intrigued and very tempted by Laurel’s admitted desire for casual sex.

What Evans and Laurel get is a whole lot more! She even begins bonding with Evans 13 yro younger brother (Evans’ parents are deceased so Evans is raising him – good guy!). As Evans and Laurel’s relationship develops through dates and hot sleepovers, it’s hard for these two not to fall in love.

I just loved Laurel and the way author Erin McCarthy worked the fact that she was deaf into some very humorous scenes…and some really tender moments, too. I won’t give it away – but you’ll gush when Evans communicates his feelings for Laurel in a unique way that definitely made me gush :) Another winner from one of my new favorite authors – which is why I’m reading her slightly older books like this one.
Profile Image for Jamie.
1,048 reviews935 followers
March 6, 2016
ehh... this one was just OK for me... It was cute, almost a little too cutesy.

Profile Image for Rachel.
639 reviews38 followers
May 24, 2015
Overall rating: 4.5 "Bunny" stars!

Triggers:
Cheating:
Love triangle:
Sex with om/ow:
Intimate pasts:
OW/OM drama:

HEA:

This book was another great one by this author - too cute for words. This hero was a little different then the other three I read by her, in that he had casual sex and didn't "do" relationships, but I still wouldn't classify him as a manwhore by any means.

In this book, Detective Russ Evans and his partner, Detective Jerry Anders think they are close to catching their thief. They have been searching for this guy for quite awhile, and after getting a clue which left them a name, place and time, they were on a stakeout waiting for Dean (the perp) to show up. Tired of waiting in the freezing cold, when Russ goes inside the coffee shop to get a closer look. Of course, he doesn't have a clue that he is about to meet the love of his life.

Laurel thinks she is meeting the sexy Russ Evans for a blind date. Well, it wasn't THAT blind because she had to look up his picture in her friend Michelle's yearbook, but based on the sexy emails they have been sending back and forth, she is ready to get laid and maybe more? Little does she know, she wasn't actually talking to THE Russ Evans, but a con artist who is looking to make his next mark.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that the heroine was deaf - for some reason, I like reading about when one of the MC's has a disability. I liked that even though Russ Evans was the type of casually date and didn't have time for relationships because of his busy career, he was willing to bend his rules because he just couldn't stand the thought of Laurel being with anyone else, or worse yet, being in danger. I also enjoyed getting to know his younger brother Sean. And on top of that, I liked the secondary Romance of Jerry Anders and Catherine aka "Freak" Goth girl LOL! Jerry on the other hand believed in relationships and was in one at the beginning of the book, but the poor guy was always in the dog house. And I hate to say this, but geez his GF Pam sounded like a B to the itch TOTALLY! It was the cutest thing how he and Catherine got together. Totally proving that opposites do attract ;)

Laurel lay on his chest, slick with sweat, closed her eyes, and rested her cheek on his shoulder. She could hear his heart pounding violently in his chest, feel his fingers idly brushing across her back.

Then he was forming letters again, one at a time on her back, while Laurel clung to him, full of heart and body, still joined to him intimately. Wanting his words, needing them, moved profoundly by them.

I love you

One letter after the other, until they were all there, telling her everything she needed to know here in the dark.
244 reviews207 followers
September 13, 2009
I thought this book was brilliant!! funny and humourous,sometimes a little bit sad, sometimes thought provoking, sweet! OMG what more can I say other than just read the other reviews to get a good reason to read this!

The humourous one-liners had me chuckling away like a fool on the train:) but the underlying stories of who do you trust? how you treat fellow human beings? and the importance of just being 'who you are' were very strong for me.

It was refreshing to read such a sweet, sexy (yes hot between the sheets action) story.
Profile Image for Michele Smith.
27 reviews6 followers
April 30, 2018
What I like about Erin McCarthy is that she writes about real freakin people. People with issues, people who are like the people I have met in real life. People who annoy me, people who excite me, people who are just awful and amazing all rolled up together in one. It’s soooooo freakin refreshing. I’m so used to reading about characters who have their shit together. They are rich, smart, creative, loyal... their shit don’t stink and I’ve yet to find anyone in my life who actually truly has their shit together. I love it because her characters are a work in progress. Which makes her stories so damn believable! No one in this world is perfect, and the fantasy men in the hundreds of books I’ve read about aren’t that perfect in real life. Men can be frustrating AF, so I applaud McCarthy. I love McCarthys sense of humor and that she consistently details the pros and cons of every person in her stories.

This book was extremely cute to me. Cute in a good way. There were some steamy parts but I’ve definitely read steamier. I think what attracted me so much was that I got to see from beginning to end their budding romance. Lately I’ve been reading so many books that fly through the “getting to know each other” stage and on to the “I love you” stage and I’m just like, dang, can we slow it down a bit? In real life, people do not fall in love with each other so fast. I LOVE that McCarthy slowed it down and allowed us to see so many different viewpoints of the characters and to really get to know everything about who she’s writing about.

Keep up the good work, girl. I’ll just sit back and keep thoroughly enjoying myself while reading your books.
Profile Image for Emily.
5,867 reviews546 followers
March 17, 2012
Russ Evans is a love em and leave em Cop, who although would never seek commitment with another woman, finds himself hunting down a con artist who seesks out dumpy women, has them fall in love, and than takes there money and runs. Currently Russ is staking out what looks to be his next victim, Laurel Wilkins. Something is not adding up though because the beauty through his binoculars is far from the women he chases, believing she is an accomplice, Russ just needs a closer look before deciding how to deal with it.

Laurel can't believe that Russ has finally showed up for their date and he is as unbelievably gorgeous as she thought. Wanting a romp with no commitments as she sorts out what she wants in life, she can't wait to take the night further. As she reaches out for Russ though, he acts like he doesn't know who she is and when he tells her that someone used his identity to get close to her, she is frustrated trying to come up with another plan but not appreciating his tone she tells him what she is really looking for SEX...

This is a fun fun book, Laurel is hearing impaired which only adds more excitement to the story. Russ can't stop thinking about Laurel, especially after she states her needs and even asks if he would be up to the task. Highly creative and thoroughly entertaining.
Profile Image for Daisiemae.
425 reviews159 followers
February 28, 2008
I have read several books by Erin McCarthy. I haven't been disappointed in any of them so far. I think her characters are well developed, and the sexual chemistry as well as the relationship that develops between them is always well written.
Russ Evans is not looking for a relationship. Having the responsibility of raising his younger brother, dealing with the death of his parents and being a cop he does not have the time or the inclination to have a girlfriend.
Laurel Wilkins is looking for a sexual partner. Always doing the right thing, gives a "good girl" grief. She has been overprotected throughout the years due to losing her hearing at a young age. She begins chatting with a man claiming to be Russ and they set up to meet to have a physical relationship only.
I won't get into this much more. I don't want to spoil it for anyone so I won't get into how and why Russ and Laurel meet.
I really liked both characters. Laurel is a sweet, strong character and I thought fit into Russ's world quite well, despite her naivity.
Profile Image for Diane ~Firefly~.
2,202 reviews86 followers
June 9, 2012
Well if you are looking for a steamy romance with a hint of danger, this is the book for you.

What I enjoyed:
* Laurel. It is unusual to have a heroine with a handicap (she's deaf) and she's lived a sheltered life, but seems to be ready to take control.
* Sean. Poor kid has had his life turned upside down and his brother can't seem to figure out what to do.
* Cat and Jerry because they are cute together.
* Ferris, the cat was a definite character.

What could have been better:
* A little less steam and a little more story. Everything seemed to happen at the speed of light.
* Russ was pretty much a jerk to both Laurel and Sean. I'm not sure he ever would have fixed things with Sean on his own.
*
Profile Image for Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim).
604 reviews113 followers
October 7, 2011
Hi. I'm Laural Wilkins. I'm deaf. (Well, rich and deaf but who's keeping track.) I feel a little lonely so I think I'll engage in some random sex with a random guy I met online. Well, the guy I thought I was meeting showed up. Except he wasn't the guy I was chatting with. Oh well. I guess I'll just have sex with him instead. He is hot and sexy after all.

If you can get over this brief digest of the opening of the book, they you'll probably really like the book. The sex was hot and fun (the candy scene was a hoot). But the implausibility of actions and responses kept me from seriously liking it. So it was light, fun, and forgettable.
Profile Image for Arya.
100 reviews26 followers
December 16, 2012
3.7 stars!

This was a pretty nice book. Not earth-shattering but nice. Sometimes,I got a little frustrated and angry with the main characters, but by the end, all the problems were solved and they weren't annoying at all. My favorite character was Sean, Russ's little brother. I thought he was just awesome and I felt for him. Character development was awesome.

I like reading books where either the girl or the guy, one of the main characters, have some kind of physical problem. Reading these books and seeing how they an also be happy makes me forget about how horrible the world is for a few moments. Maybe, just maybe, people can be nice and understanding.

It's a nice book. Give it a try.
Profile Image for Tracey.
2,243 reviews
June 1, 2020
June 2020
I went ahead and bought the ebook version and it was a nice treat to myself. I still very much like this book but I am taking away one star away from my original review. It doesn't have a seamless flow between characters.

August 2015
You have the perfect recipe for a classic romance novel. A strong yet stubborn male meets a slightly innocent but confidant woman and fall in love. There's a hint of a threat in the form of a con artist. And you even have the two best friends fall in love with each other. All in all, it's one of the best romances I've read.
Profile Image for Tasha.
246 reviews42 followers
November 28, 2008
I really enjoyed this book because it kept me laughing throughout. Loved Russ and Laurel as well as Cat and Jerry. Cat and Jerry added even more humor to an already humorous story. Great chemistry between the two couples, and very steamy love scenes. Laurel is such a sweetie (or should I say "bunny" LOL) that you can't help but like her.
Profile Image for Celeste.
260 reviews12 followers
November 11, 2008
There is something about the way Erin McCarthy tells a story that just appeals to me in every way. I have yet to read a book of hers that I haven't absolutely LOVED. This one is no different. I love the character development in this story and they're so easy to fall in love with. And FUNNY! There are so many moments that I find myself laughing out loud whenever I read ANY of her books.
Profile Image for Mary X.
162 reviews29 followers
April 1, 2019
I love this book. I've read it several times now. It's one of the few books that I reread on a regular basis. I'm not normally a rereader. But I loved the 2 main characters. I'm not good a reviews so I don't know if I can even say why. Other than that the book makes me smile every time I read it even though I know what's going to happen.
Profile Image for Ashley♥Alexis.
901 reviews
April 21, 2011
This was a great book! I loved the characters and the progression of the relationship. The dialog was good and often hilarious. Nice light reading with some chuckles thrown in.
Profile Image for 100sweet.
1,602 reviews
June 4, 2018
I really enjoyed this story and was pleasantly surprised at how steamy it was. The H was really crazy for the h and I loved that. The author did such a great job with the secondary characters such as Vincent and Cat. Ferris stole with book for me, I adored his scenes. My only problem with the book was how the author handled the h's disability. I don't think it was very accurate.
Profile Image for Katie(babs).
1,867 reviews530 followers
August 27, 2014
Erin McCarthy has done it again with Mouth to Mouth. Her latest book was so good that I didn't want it to end. It was witty, sexy and with a heroine who even though she has a disability, doesn't let that defer her from having a life and love. And the hero thinks he belongs on the dredges of society, that is until he meets the wonderful heroine and beings to feel worthy.

Laurel, is deaf and lives with her mother. She doesn't date much because of her disability and decides to use on-line dating to find a man to have sex with. What she doesn't know is that she was being conned by a man who uses women for sex and takes all their money. Russ Evans is the cop investigating the con and he comes in contact with Laurel. Soon Russ can't get her out of his mind and keeps coming to her house and when Laurel says she only wants a man to have sex with, well Russ is more than willing to help her out.

Laurel and Russ are adorable together. They become more than lovers and he becomes very protective of her because that nasty con is out there stalking her.

There is also Russ's little brother who has a major attitude because of the death of their parents and along with another cast of characters that show up to add to the story.

Even though Laurel may look and act innocent, when she is with Russ she lets loose and those scenes between her and Russ and very spicy and hot. There is even one scene were they use pixie sticks in very inventive ways because Laurel works in a candy store and Russ adores candy and using it with Laurel.

For an overall funny, loopy read with great love scenes to boot, Mouth to Mouth is one book to pick up!
Profile Image for Victoria.
1,188 reviews94 followers
November 7, 2014
4.25 RATING- A cute and enjoyable contemporary story that I'm glad I took the time to read. While there is a suspense story line it is definitely secondary to the romance which develops between the two main characters, Russ and Laurel, and really only provides a backdrop for the relationship. No major suspense, no kidnappings, drama, etc.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Russ and Laurel and loved how protective this hero was over the heroine, who happened to be deaf. The steam level was medium and what i expected for a contemporary romance, perhaps a bit sexier considering the sweet story line. While none of the supporting characters played a major role in the book, each helped color the story in helpful ways. I especially appreciated Laurel's mom Bev, her "man hating" coworker Cat, and even Pharis the cat.

Overall, a fun and enjoyable read. I recommend for readers that enjoy contemporary romances with solid writing and sweet but steamy stories. Although the book was published in 2005, nothing seemed dated in the story at all.

Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through SCRIBD Subcription Service.

To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

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