The Valentine Effect by Bonnie Dee

The Valentine Effect (novella)

Bonnie Dee

Contemporary Romance/Erotica

Published in 2008

H/h - Enrique Torres/Carrie Morrison

Setting: Present Time.

Read in Feb, 2012.

My rating:

[spoiler alert]

Carrie’s Valentine’s Day was going just like the others she’s had so far, alone and boring. Even though being a teacher to kids is a job she likes, her love life needs an improvement. Today, as the students go home while she watched from the schoolroom windows, Carrie feels desperate for anything to happen, even if it’s a one night stand with some random stranger.

In walks someone; tall, strong, handsome and definitely a Latino, through the door of the empty schoolroom. Carrie is transfixed by him and amazed by Fate poking fun at her. Has her wish just been granted? The said stranger introduces himself as Enrique, father of one of her students. She likes the boy, Harnando or Nando, as his father calls him. Although Carrie is overwhelmed by the man (and his hotness with thoughts that are better left unsaid heehee), she and Ric set up a nice chat. It starts with Nando, of course but soon goes into some private stuff. Ric ends up telling her about his deceased wife Angelina and how it’s affecting Nando (and himself no doubt). Somehow the talk turns into an invitation for coffee. Carrie head wasn’t communicating with her mouth, so where a no should’ve been the best solution, Ric being the father of a student, yes just forms before she even gave it a thought. That coffee date (along with those thoughts in her head) turns into a Valentine’s Day date. Ric seems kinda awkward; funny because he’s so gorgeous and self-assured, ‘awkward’ isn’t a word you generally relate with him. He tells Carrie he doesn’t do random dates and since Angelina’s death he hasn’t really been interested in anyone but somehow, she caught his attentions. Carrie is very excited by his words and so she says yes, again. Really, duh!

Ric definitely used to be a family man. He loved his wife and never thought such a tragedy would strike his life. Then again, who does? But he likes Carrie, even though they met a very short while ago. Ric wants to give it a shot, even if it’s a one night stand. The date goes fine. As they start kissing, Carrie is totally in the ‘give it to me baby’ mode. She can’t wait to dig into the deliciousness that is Ric, which is what they do all night…. More than once if I might add. Oh sex was definitely hot, even though chocolate cakes in unmentionable places isn’t my choice for sex play. lol I just can’t attach food with sex, that’s the thing. Other than that, Ric was just…. YUM! I loved him more because he was vulnerable inside and he wanted this thing to develop into something deeper and important. It was Carrie who was hesitant (and clumsy with her word choices to Ric) and though her thoughts about the whole thing were quite logical, I still wanted to slap her and snatch Ric away! I understand that she had her own set of vulnerabilities but after the way Ric was with her, she was still bend on looking at it as just a random one night stand. So, yah, move over b*tch!

And then, there was this sweeeeeeet gesture by Ric in the end that so had me there. I was grinning and sighing, can a man get more adorable than this? God, Carrie is some lucky b*tch.

As you can guess, 3.75 stars solely for Ric.

Hmmm, well, I wasn’t exactly thinking of Carlo Porto while reading the book but now that I’ve seen this pic, guess he’ll do. ;) muahaha