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The Red Choo Diaries #3
Beyond Seduction
Sex didn't scare her
Despite the success of her sultry Red Choo sex blog, it would take serious buzz to put Mercedes Brooks's first book of erotic fantasies on the bestseller list. And that meant agreeing to another showdown with her nemesis, the super-sexy TV pundit Sam Porter.
This thing beyond seduction did.
This time, though, the on-air innuendos were just a dress rehearsal. What happened later between the sheets was actually the main event. If the tabloids got wind of their night together, Sam's career would self-destruct. But the real shocker was that even with a prime-time scandal hanging over their heads, one night was not enough!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
118 people want to read
About the author
Kathleen O'Reilly
110 books65 followersKathleen O'Reilly wrote her first romance at the age of eleven, which to her undying embarrassment was read aloud to her class. After taking over twenty years to recover from the profound distress, she is now proud to announce her new career - a romance author. Kathleen lives in New York with her husband and their two children who outwit her daily.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 9, 2009
Another great story in my monthly challenge bunch, which makes me a happy and satisfied reader indeed.
Sam Porter fears he’s entering the dreaded mid-life crisis a bit early. The thirty-nine-year-old, conservative, political TV show host simply can’t forget the encounter with a sex-blogger twelve months ago. And as the opportunity arises to insert a ten-minute-long lighter theme into his show, he’s more than happy to invite Mercedes Brooks to be his guest again. If things move a bit further than that, so be it. He’s actually counting on it.
For the past year, Mercedes has been writing about variations of her fantasy man in her blog. A tall man with brown hair with natural blond highlights and green (not hazel) eyes. An almost spitting image of Sam Porter, the man she somehow couldn’t stop thinking about since their encounter on his show. Now she has a book on the shelves and he’s invited her to his show again. She wouldn’t be a red-blooded female if she didn’t grasp the opportunity with both hands. And if the night developed into something more, so be it. She’s actually counting on it.
But a stolen night of endless pleasure isn’t enough for Sam. He wants more and he isn’t afraid of going for it, despite the age difference and the mid-life crisis threat. But with his budding political career and Mercedes’s jitters, can they make a go for it, or are they doomed to fail even before they start?
This was a wonderful story, breaking yet more stereotypes about what a HQ book and its characters should be like. This time it’s the hero – big kudos for mature man who know what they want and aren’t afraid to risk it all! – who wants stability, it’s the man who says the L-word first, and the heroine who is scared shitless and thinks of their "affair" in short-term only.
I loved both of them. Sam was mature, knew what he wanted, and he was doggedly insistent in his pursuit (and ultimately conquest) of the woman of his dreams. I simply loved the guy. Mercedes was also a great character. She was strong, she was sassy, she was determined to rise to writer’s heaven. She was lovable and yet a huge contradiction. An erotica writer who had no problems with sex, but when things went beyond that, boy, was the girl running scared. She frustrated the hell out of me (as well as Sam), because of her stubborn notion that if her father ran out on her mother and her, so will all the men in her life, and that’s why she looked only for losers who wouldn’t disappoint her by leaving. She envied her brothers’ finding love and getting married, but scoffed at the mere notion of having a relationship. Even with a pearl of a guy like Sam Porter.
Loved the premise, loved the flow of the story, loved the characters…And the humor. The rapid-fire banter about Sam needing or not a new shirt was absolutely hilarious.
4 ½ stars and a definite keeper!
Sam Porter fears he’s entering the dreaded mid-life crisis a bit early. The thirty-nine-year-old, conservative, political TV show host simply can’t forget the encounter with a sex-blogger twelve months ago. And as the opportunity arises to insert a ten-minute-long lighter theme into his show, he’s more than happy to invite Mercedes Brooks to be his guest again. If things move a bit further than that, so be it. He’s actually counting on it.
For the past year, Mercedes has been writing about variations of her fantasy man in her blog. A tall man with brown hair with natural blond highlights and green (not hazel) eyes. An almost spitting image of Sam Porter, the man she somehow couldn’t stop thinking about since their encounter on his show. Now she has a book on the shelves and he’s invited her to his show again. She wouldn’t be a red-blooded female if she didn’t grasp the opportunity with both hands. And if the night developed into something more, so be it. She’s actually counting on it.
But a stolen night of endless pleasure isn’t enough for Sam. He wants more and he isn’t afraid of going for it, despite the age difference and the mid-life crisis threat. But with his budding political career and Mercedes’s jitters, can they make a go for it, or are they doomed to fail even before they start?
This was a wonderful story, breaking yet more stereotypes about what a HQ book and its characters should be like. This time it’s the hero – big kudos for mature man who know what they want and aren’t afraid to risk it all! – who wants stability, it’s the man who says the L-word first, and the heroine who is scared shitless and thinks of their "affair" in short-term only.
I loved both of them. Sam was mature, knew what he wanted, and he was doggedly insistent in his pursuit (and ultimately conquest) of the woman of his dreams. I simply loved the guy. Mercedes was also a great character. She was strong, she was sassy, she was determined to rise to writer’s heaven. She was lovable and yet a huge contradiction. An erotica writer who had no problems with sex, but when things went beyond that, boy, was the girl running scared. She frustrated the hell out of me (as well as Sam), because of her stubborn notion that if her father ran out on her mother and her, so will all the men in her life, and that’s why she looked only for losers who wouldn’t disappoint her by leaving. She envied her brothers’ finding love and getting married, but scoffed at the mere notion of having a relationship. Even with a pearl of a guy like Sam Porter.
Loved the premise, loved the flow of the story, loved the characters…And the humor. The rapid-fire banter about Sam needing or not a new shirt was absolutely hilarious.
4 ½ stars and a definite keeper!
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July 19, 2018Not my favorite of the trilogy (the excerpts of Mercedes's erotica writing were skimworthy, and I didn't click with the characters as much as I did in the previous two Brooks family books), but a solid romance nonetheless. I did love the parts involving Andrew and Jamie (from the first book, Beyond Breathless (The Red Choo Diaries)) planning and executing their wedding, because they remained terrifically and hilariously in character.
July 1, 2015
I had a hard time getting into this once I learned the hero's political leanings. I guess I should just thank the Lord he didn't start spouting off tripe about how same-sex marriage is an abomination and women should have their reproductive futures decided by old, white men.
Regardless, something about this book was just... off for me. The characters really didn't seem to click and it was obvious that Mercedes had Daddy issues a mile wide. Falling for a much older guy didn't really seem romantic... it seemed like she needed psychological intervention.
Regardless, something about this book was just... off for me. The characters really didn't seem to click and it was obvious that Mercedes had Daddy issues a mile wide. Falling for a much older guy didn't really seem romantic... it seemed like she needed psychological intervention.
March 5, 2010
What I appreciate about O'Reilly's books are the kinds of characters she writes about. They're extraordinary achievers in seemingly mundane jobs, but each has a vulnerability that anyone can relate to. Sam Porter sounds really hot (maybe it's because he's into that unsexy thing that is current affairs and politics) and it's great to see Mercedes finally "get with" her equal in love and life.
Rating: 3.5/5
Rating: 3.5/5
February 26, 2010
A tough-minded yet vulnerable heroine, too noble for her own good when it comes down to the wire. A brash yet surprisingly sensitive hero, adorable almost despite himself. A very hot and well-written story.
May 23, 2011
The first and the third in this series are the best. Although the male lead might seem a tad bit boring, his older steadfastness is a nice foil to the younger energy of an erotica writer. Very interesting characters and a good read!
September 24, 2011
A solid 3 1/2. I'm enjoying reading this author but for some reason, and I can't quite put my finger on it, this one wasn't my favorite.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews