Below the Belt (novella)
Skye Warren
Contemporary Romance/Erotica
Published in 2011
H/h - Abe Montogomery/Paris Rivera
Setting: Present time.
Read in Aug, 2012.
My rating:
[spoiler alert]
Erm... moving on!
Paris, who was also into Taekwando once upon a time, came here to support her younger sister, Addison or Addie, along with her mom. It’s apparent that the mother and daughter aren’t in very good terms, mostly because Paris’s mother is disappointed in her for giving up her lucrative career because Paris had the talent to do something with her skills. It was told that there are ‘some reasons’ behind this disinterest in Martial arts of any sorts and yes, men. But, somehow, she couldn’t deny Abe’s sexiness and gives into it.
Overall, I wasn’t dissatisfied since the sex was HOT all over the book, something I really appreciated. As it was a novella, the whole story takes place in a couple of days of the championship. There were little conflicts between Abe and Paris, along with some tender moments and sexy times. I thought those were done very well.
Now to some things that put me off somewhat. I thought Abe and his Taekwando buddies were pretty immature at times. More than once, I rolled my eyes with their temper tantrums, views on life and discussion on women which weren’t very inspiring. Kinda dampened my liking for them. Abe wasn’t interested in a serious relationship with Paris at first. So wasn’t Paris, even though she wanted Abe in her life. She was the one who balked later when Abe was finally thinking something serious. I get that the few days of their acquaintance aren’t really viable for anything serious but I’m not the one for sex-for-fun-and-let’s-see-where-it-leads-to kind of relationship. It’s already ‘too there’ in real life for me to care about it in a book. Even though I felt that Abe and Paris have something very special between them, the book ended on a HFN note. I wanted something much more solid. Then, the bomb Abe’s longtime friend Blake dropped at the end kinda threw me upside down. Though it was sure that if there’s to be another follow up of this novella, that might be between Addie and another of Abe’s douchy Taekwando buddy, Raphael (didn’t really care for him that much), I was more interested in Blake. But that announcement took the possibility away. Finally, Paris’s ‘big reveal’ wasn’t that big of a thing, not to me at least.
The good news is if there is another follow up, I’ll definitely check that out. I totally recommend this novella if you have a few hours to spare and want something very sexy, with the Taekwando moves to go with it... among other things that is.
I tell you that you won’t be disappointed.
3.75 stars.
Below The Belt was a fun and uber hot novella by SW, very unlike her Dark Erotica series. I really liked the premise and the interactions between Abe, the National star of Taekwando and Paris, an ex-Taekwando martial artist.
I don’t really know much about Taekwando, unless what I randomly read online or may have seen a bit here and there on the TV. But this book gives you good visuals of the fighting, as it came out in SW’s superb writing. I do love her writing style and how she develops the connections between her characters.
Abe is the national star and winning his way through the Taekwando matches. He doesn’t have a big background, we aren’t told much but it’s apparent that Taekwando has altered his life path. He has name, fame, money and yes, women all over it. Now, his only dream is to achieve this current championship that will earn him enough sponsor money to open a school of his own. Abe arrived to compete and in the hotel where the parties to celebrate the championship was going on, is where he meets Paris. It was not a good intro in my estimation, since some of Abe’s douchy friends (also Taekwando counterparts) were annoying him to ‘score’ on some starf*ckers hanging and giggling nearby. But Abe was veered away by Paris, who was sitting alone in a corner, all by herself. He felt something different about her and didn’t want to ‘score’ with her, not the way he and buddies usually do.
But, in the span of 15 minutes of their introduction, they were going at it...
So much for not wanting to score like that! lol
I don’t really know much about Taekwando, unless what I randomly read online or may have seen a bit here and there on the TV. But this book gives you good visuals of the fighting, as it came out in SW’s superb writing. I do love her writing style and how she develops the connections between her characters.
Abe is the national star and winning his way through the Taekwando matches. He doesn’t have a big background, we aren’t told much but it’s apparent that Taekwando has altered his life path. He has name, fame, money and yes, women all over it. Now, his only dream is to achieve this current championship that will earn him enough sponsor money to open a school of his own. Abe arrived to compete and in the hotel where the parties to celebrate the championship was going on, is where he meets Paris. It was not a good intro in my estimation, since some of Abe’s douchy friends (also Taekwando counterparts) were annoying him to ‘score’ on some starf*ckers hanging and giggling nearby. But Abe was veered away by Paris, who was sitting alone in a corner, all by herself. He felt something different about her and didn’t want to ‘score’ with her, not the way he and buddies usually do.
But, in the span of 15 minutes of their introduction, they were going at it...
So much for not wanting to score like that! lol
Erm... moving on!
Paris, who was also into Taekwando once upon a time, came here to support her younger sister, Addison or Addie, along with her mom. It’s apparent that the mother and daughter aren’t in very good terms, mostly because Paris’s mother is disappointed in her for giving up her lucrative career because Paris had the talent to do something with her skills. It was told that there are ‘some reasons’ behind this disinterest in Martial arts of any sorts and yes, men. But, somehow, she couldn’t deny Abe’s sexiness and gives into it.
Overall, I wasn’t dissatisfied since the sex was HOT all over the book, something I really appreciated. As it was a novella, the whole story takes place in a couple of days of the championship. There were little conflicts between Abe and Paris, along with some tender moments and sexy times. I thought those were done very well.
Now to some things that put me off somewhat. I thought Abe and his Taekwando buddies were pretty immature at times. More than once, I rolled my eyes with their temper tantrums, views on life and discussion on women which weren’t very inspiring. Kinda dampened my liking for them. Abe wasn’t interested in a serious relationship with Paris at first. So wasn’t Paris, even though she wanted Abe in her life. She was the one who balked later when Abe was finally thinking something serious. I get that the few days of their acquaintance aren’t really viable for anything serious but I’m not the one for sex-for-fun-and-let’s-see-where-it-leads-to kind of relationship. It’s already ‘too there’ in real life for me to care about it in a book. Even though I felt that Abe and Paris have something very special between them, the book ended on a HFN note. I wanted something much more solid. Then, the bomb Abe’s longtime friend Blake dropped at the end kinda threw me upside down. Though it was sure that if there’s to be another follow up of this novella, that might be between Addie and another of Abe’s douchy Taekwando buddy, Raphael (didn’t really care for him that much), I was more interested in Blake. But that announcement took the possibility away. Finally, Paris’s ‘big reveal’ wasn’t that big of a thing, not to me at least.
The good news is if there is another follow up, I’ll definitely check that out. I totally recommend this novella if you have a few hours to spare and want something very sexy, with the Taekwando moves to go with it... among other things that is.
I tell you that you won’t be disappointed. 3.75 stars.
2 comments:
lol we read the same kind of books. Have you read Club Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair?
Hey Chen, Glad to know. I haven't read any book by Cherise Sinclair but she's an author under consideration for me. Will give her books a try someday. :)
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