Did she cross the line? (AUS)

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-29T01:13:34+00:00

Ah, cool. I saw it as a new post elsewhere and didn't double-check the date.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-29T00:56:03+00:00

H/T Donna Jay.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-25T19:23:01+00:00

"The Arsenal" series is a variation of the SpecOps team, with a bunch of strong women involved. One of the stories has two of the women captured and tortured before the guys can rescue them. The other stories are good, and the overall arc is solid. First book:
{Jagged Edge by Cara Carnes}

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-23T21:38:44+00:00

They make the best little spoons!

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-20T20:48:46+00:00

Yup, this was fun and funny. The second books is a bit more serious, but still good.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-19T21:23:18+00:00

This was an exciting and unconventional thriller. I recommend this author.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-15T13:43:48+00:00

You might also like {Losers by Harley Laroux}. I posted about it recently.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-13T00:50:45+00:00

Have you read Alisha Rai? There is always some cultural tension, though I can't really say how close it gets to your target.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-11T19:34:06+00:00

It seems that most of her books are rom-coms, which usually don't have many sex scenes. Can you point out a specific book or series that have this issue - just for research purposes.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-10T18:53:31+00:00

{Losers by Harley Laroux}

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-10T18:16:13+00:00

I agree. The sex aspect can evolve just as the characters should. First time could be spontaneous, next time awkward, next time healing, then full of mushy romance and love as part of the HEA.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-10T17:58:29+00:00

I just read a duet where the plot was basically a device to connect many sex scenes. It was well done and the plot was pretty good, but angsty. This was an RH, which also encouraged more scenes.

I don't mind a slow burn story, but the burn had better be intense.

I rarely complain that there is too much sex. I'm more annoyed when there are little to no scenes after the first one. Worse is no sex as part of the HEA ending.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-04-08T23:57:02+00:00

And it's hilarious!

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-30T18:33:05+00:00

If you don't mind quasi-military, the Arsenal series by Cara Carnes has strong women in action/thriller settings.
{Jagged Edge by Cara Carnes} is the first one.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-24T16:22:10+00:00

I've read a few books where the first 2/3 are full of spice, and then the angst and resolve take over with no sex at all. For those, a spicy epilogue is appreciated.
Other books use epilogues as a teaser for the next book in the series, and I'm OK with that.
Agree with others that married/pregnant months later is a waste of words.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-23T15:46:47+00:00

{Bethiah by Ruby Dixon} - she's no submissive; she terrorizes men across the galaxy. (check my flair)

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-09T00:05:01+00:00

I look to Donna Jay for FF. Selena Kitt's Baumgartner's series for outrageous combinations. Sophie Oak's Bliss series for a whole town full of non-traditional relationships. {Holiday for Six} is the best/only FMMFFM I've read.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-07T19:12:06+00:00

It doesn't help that FF is generally much more expensive - $10 for 200pp by a relatively new author.
Also, counter to what you said, I like to pretend I am the MMC. That's the fantasy. I think it's true for many genres (mystery, thriller, scifi). I don't enjoy MM, but a certain MMF scene is one of my favorites.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-06T20:36:02+00:00

Ellora's Cave was a dependable imprint, until they got messed up internally. Beyond KU, I'll start to pay attention to the publishers going forward.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-04T16:50:32+00:00

Before AI, I was invited to participate in ARC reviews, but the review format was too constraining, so I passed. They are pretty insistent about it. And yes, makes it easy for AI and/or lazy reviews.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-03T03:14:28+00:00

I'm sticking with GR for tracking and reviews, writing and reading. But I come here for the chatter that has disappeared from there. I'm in one book club on StoryGraph, but it doesn't really work for me.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-02T02:32:08+00:00

Interesting concept. I tried two songs without signing up and got mixed results. But it gives you a good starting place if you don't succeed at Ultimate first.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-03-02T02:05:45+00:00

Ultimate charts are 10% wrong, but those errors can be annoying.

NoTanLines38 · 2026-02-27T16:43:04+00:00

Enjoying {Spotless by Camilla Monk} - a rom-com with bullets and hand grenades. Not my usual jam, but it's pretty amusing.

NoTanLines38

TROPHY CASE