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Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won't lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she's as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his secrets. But what will happen when she uncovers them all?
104,200 words
It wasn't an industrial, serviceable model. This was one of those make-your-mouth-water pieces that would barely cover hard nipples while pushing things into a better vantage point. It was the type of bra a woman wore when she wanted a man to take it off of her. He could almost see the tiny front clasp nestled between two round swells begging to be unleashed. He'd popped a few of those clasps with his teeth before, and the urge hit again.
He glanced over the hedge. A clothesline held a rainbow of bras, panties, camisoles and other feminine intimate wear. The bra in his hand matched a tiny scrap of a thong pinned between a bit of peach lace and a black bra with see-through cups. Oh yeah, he had to meet his neighbor. A smile twitched his mouth. No time like the present. He tucked the bra in the back pocket of his jeans and rounded the hedge, crossing the small patch of grass to a tiny front porch. A wicker wreath hung dead center on the banana peel-colored wood. He rapped several times with a firm knuckle.
"I got it!"
His best smile in place, he waited for the woman who owned such a decadent scrap of clothing to answer. The door swung open and his smile faltered. Although very pretty in a Barbie college-girl way, the strawberry blonde who answered wasn't his type. She looked too young and innocent for him. His excitement faded to grim acceptance. He should've known better than to trust hope. Hope was like a scratch-off lottery ticket—a buck better left in your wallet.
"Yes?" Curiosity shone in her pale blue eyes and he looked for an escape.
"Yeah, hi. I'm John Murphy. I'm moving in next door and the wind picked up a bit—"
"Andrea, who is it?"
A sultry, whiskey-edged voice pulled his eyes behind the girl. As she turned around, the door slid open farther and the woman named Andrea motioned for him to step inside. He had to force his feet to move. His ribs tightened painfully around his lungs.
Here was his vision. Loose curls the color of cinnamon framed her heart-shaped face as she stared at him with violet eyes. No earthly woman had eyes the shade of lilacs. This mirage had to be a product of the sun and heat. His gaze drifted from her face downward and a different kind of heat boiled in his gut.
A purple tee shirt stretched a faded Disney character across her ample chest, and he wondered what color lace lurked under Tinker Bell. Long smooth legs poured from beneath her cut-off shorts. Splotches of plum on her toes hinted at her secret womanly side and made him smile. She wore no makeup but had an internal glow. This was a lady made for sin.
Sin was something he knew intimately.
He offered his hand, and the strength in her grip surprised him. Her soft grasp spoke of competence and confidence. Short unadorned nails highlighted the fact she wore no rings. The sweet scent of cake frosting filled his nose and he inhaled hungrily. His brain slammed into sexual overload as he flashed on licking sugar from her skin. His zipper was suddenly too snug.
Betty Crocker had never been so arousing.
tt_spades
Posted March 1, 2011
Sweet as Sin has the right ingredients with the right doses. So far I've read 20 books this year and this is my favorite.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.RomanceLove416
Posted February 23, 2011
I never felt compelled to write a review before, but OMG I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I've never read a book by this author before, but I will be looking for others. Sweet as Sin is now one of my favorite books. It will make you feel every emotion! I did not want the book to end. I will definitely read it again. I fell so in love with Murphy, I wish he was mine.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Upon first meeting John Murphy, I fell for him because he is hot, and he irritated me because he knows he's hot. But John is also a writer. I love stories where one of the main characters is a writer, especially when it's a guy and he's attractive. I find intellectual hot guys irresistible, so I let his cockiness slide, just a little though.
There was no way Murphy was not going to fall for Livvy. Livvy is great! She is attractive, smart, funny, sweet and self-sufficient. She doesn't need a man, but she wants one. She wants a marriage and kids and is aware that Murphy is not that guy. That doesn't mean she's not lusting over him as much as he's lusting over her, and so her sister convinces her to have a fun summer fling with him.
Even though they enter this fling knowingly, Livvy is not prepared to immediately jump into bed with Murphy, which he takes in stride. The sexual tension build-up between the two is electric and soon enough, everything aligns and they give in. Without realizing it, especially on Murphy's part, they begin to fall in love. Livvy starts to see below Murphy's surface. She begins to see that Murphy's pain runs incredibly deep and she coaxes some details from him but not many. I never anticipated just how damaged Murphy would be. I never thought his deep secrets would make my heart ache for him. No child should ever have to suffer like that. Murphy can't fathom why in the world he keeps sharing pieces of his past with Livvy. But she is really easy to talk to, laugh with, care for and this begins to scare him. When they both finally give in to their emotions, and openly voice their love to each other I was so incredibly happy for them.
Then Murphy freaks. And he pushes Livvy away in an incredibly cruel way. To be honest, I don't know how Livvy stood there and took half the things he flung at her. I would've walked away after the first. But she knows Murphy is not an easy man to love and she tries to make him see that she loves him despite his monsters. Of course, this only makes him push harder, and crueler, until he hits her in the one spot guaranteed to shatter her. In turn, my heart broke as well. I think I spent the last third of this book crying.
While all that is going on, we also get to read parts of the book Murphy is writing. It's obvious that the characters in the book are all parts of Murphy, and so we get to in a way decipher his feelings by what the characters are going through. It was a really nice part of this book. I haven't read any book with that particular aspect in it.
Sweet as Sin is my first contemporary romance read, so I can say with absolute certainty that it is the best one I've read to date! :) I loved it. I went into it thinking it was going to be a fun, sexy story, but it was so much more than that. It was so emotional! It was also a really steamy read. The intimate scenes are very well written and will leave you fanning yourself. I fell in love with ALL of the characters in this book, they were just so real that you can't help it. I will definitely be reading this book again and again, so I recommend you give it a try.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I LOVE emotional reads that get under your skin and don't let go. Seeing people who have gone through horrible things and made it through to find happiness are my kind of inspirational read. Inez Kelly is one of those writers who makes their readers a part of these emotional journeys and Sweet as Sin delivers in the intensity of that emotional journey.
The journey to true happiness is incredibly rocky for these two. John came from a childhood of physical and sexual abuse at the hands of his preacher father and still carries the scars today inside and out. Through his YA and fantasy writings he uses his characters as a form of therapy. Showing excerpts of these stories is an unique and intriguing way to show us his inner emotions since it's hard for him to express things out loud. Unfortunately his writings aren't enough as he still has nightmares and rage and alcohol issues. When he goes through these episodes he's a different man, a very unlikable one. He lashes out and says hurtful things and it's hard reading these scenes. Seeing his daily struggles made me ache for him even as I was despising his actions. He's a good man deep down and deserves to find a woman who can help him heal. I love wounded heroes and John is definitely that. He's also charming and super sexy. Which is part of the reason why Livvy is drawn to him.
Livvy is a very strong and independent woman and just what John needs. She's not going to let him push her away no matter how hard he tries. She'll stand by him as he struggles to put the past behind him. She too had a rough childhood with a cheating father which adds to the rockiness of their relationship. Both John and Livvy had to grow up before their time and it's this shared emotional past that makes their connection so intense and vital to each of them.
The sexual interludes in this story are steamy and nicely spaced throughout the story. Even when they hit a rocky patch the sex is still intense between them. The ups and downs between them are realistic and made me feel like I was on that emotional roller coaster with them. Everything happening between them drew me in and I was rooting for them every step of the way.
This story was intense from the very first page and didn't let up until the very end. These were two scarred souls destined to be together. Livvy was an immensely likable character who was a pillar of strength for John and is the epitome of what a heroine should be. John was damaged to his very core and after having countless women knew that Livvy was the one worth changing his ways for. He knew he needed more in-depth help and found it because of Livvy's love and support. It takes a strong man to admit that and it made me love him even more than I did at the start of the story. Inez Kelly has created a story with a memorable couple that pulls at your heartstrings and stays with you long after the final page is turned. Those looking for a story full of emotional ups and downs need look no further than Sweet as Sin. Just make sure to have a tissue or two nearby.
Anonymous
Posted February 25, 2012
Bought this because I felt like reading something hot. Actually received a whole lot more! Great book. H/h both have major baggage, making their relationship complex and interesting. You really root for them to work things out. Examples of hero's writing included in story actually made me cry.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.My Review:
This is a book that has been on my radar (and quite honestly, on my Kindle) ever since it came out because everyone absolutely RAVES about how good it is. Honestly, I am not sure what I expected from this book, but I will readily admit that it surprised me...and I can't even pinpoint how, but this book was not what I expected...and that is not a bad thing.
Everyone talks about how emotional this book is and it most definitely is that because John has a LOT of emotional baggage. But if you have read my reviews much, you will know that I cry in a LOT of books (and usually you get an A+ review from me if you make me cry,) but I really didn't in this one. There was only a single moment where I even came close...the final scene in John's book that he's writing.
What I did find in this book though was a ton of humor (and I wasn't expecting that.) The dialogue and wittiness between Livvy and John leaps off the page with their chemistry. I loved it when these two would talk...it was just pure magic watching the dialogue between them.
But there is also a TON of sadness to this book. John is scarred...deeply and heavily in his soul by an extremely abusive stepfather until he was 16 yo. Those scars affect how he deals with absolutely every aspect of his life. In fact, it is those scars that he writes about. He's a YA author who write a series about two monsters, Jondi and Thorn. Those monsters have protected him and given him a safe place to escape to his entire life. Now John's life is being turned upside down in so many ways, but mainly through his love for Livvy, that he can't accept, and even his monsters in his stories are turning on him.
It is a good book. I definitely enjoyed every minute of reading it. Livvy is strong and powerful and she believes in her love for John. I liked the fact that no matter how bad things got, neither one of them ever debated their love for the other and Livvy's move at the end, was simply brilliant to get John to see the truth of what she was saying. Everyone who says that you should read this book, is absolutely correct. I am so glad that I finally listened.
DivaReader17
Posted May 23, 2011
This book was okay. Very long and dragged out. Not as Sinfully Sweet as i thought it would be.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ChristopherStreet
Posted March 13, 2011
This story was beautifully written about love that isn't easy yet definitely worth it. I am looking forward to reading more from this author.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 22, 2011
I was looking for a good book to read and came across this book and I was not able to put it down. From the beginning I was sucked in. I cant wait to read the author's other books.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.VoireyLinger
Posted February 8, 2011
When author John Murphy moves in next door to Olivia, the chemistry between them is instantaneous. Initially, Livvy is wary about getting involved with a neighbor, but the appeal of the bad-boy next door outweighs her reservations. but it doesn't take long for her to see something isn't quite right with Murphy. The darkness that haunts his stories is just a small slice of what he carries inside him and being near Livvy touches on his personal demons.
This book is very hard, very gritty, and one of the most gut-wrenching stories of a broken hero I've ever read. One by one, Murphy's secrets are revealed, showing us a traumatic life, the sacrifices he's made, and the heroic heart that lies beneath it all.
This isn't a sweet and fluffy read for the reader looking for an escapism fantasy. It is stark look at a reality we all too often turn our backs on. Ms. Kelley exposes the dark side of humans, the bits we don't like to think about, the parts we pretend don't exist, and in doing so, shows us what surviving and heroism really mean.
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Posted March 25, 2011
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Posted March 5, 2012
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Posted March 17, 2011
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Posted February 26, 2011
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Overview
John Murphy is tormented by nightmares. A bestselling young-adult author, he writes the ultimate fantasy: stories where good always triumphs. He knows better. His past has shown him the worst in people—and in himself. When he moves next door to the sexy, vibrant Livvy—a woman completely unlike his usual one-night stands—he's driven to explore every curve of her delicious body.
Pastry chef Livvy knows that giving in to the temptation that is John Murphy won't lead to anything permanent, but she deserves a passionate summer fling. John discovers she's as sweet as the confections she bakes while Livvy slowly unravels his ...