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Cathy Markham is a sweet naïve quiet girl with a caring heart. At night her alter ego comes out – Cat, a seductress who owns the bar, The Filling Station, and whose every gesture is to attract men’s attention. She wants to be independent, run her bar, buy her own home and live life on her terms. Ex-Navy SEAL Blake Carlisle returns home after 10 years in the Navy. He had been a neighbor and close friend of Cathy and her older brother Steve when they all lived on Orange Blossom Lane. Blake and Steve were best friends. The young girl who used to follow him around has matured and is surprisingly but appealingly different. Cathy was always forbidden fruit in the past because she was his best friend’s little sister. Will Blake look at her differently now that she’s older – and unbelievably sexy?
The story of Cathy and Blake is so very hot. The eroticism of their relationship is intense, explicit and beautifully written by Ms. Austin. There is an aspect of their relationship that I can only describe as soulful that makes their connection special. I couldn’t put the book down until I had read it in its entirety because it was so much of a turn-on to find out what happened next with Cathy and Blake. A number of supporting characters greatly enhance Cathy and Blake’s story including Steve, Cathy’s older brother, Ray, bartender at the club, Reggie and Bernie, twin brothers Cat dances with regularly, Mike, the club DJ who also creates exciting dance mixes, Tess, one of the servers at the club and also Cat’s good friend, and Commander Halstrom, Blake’s friend and mentor who was also like a father to him. The club is very sexy. It includes regular dance scenes where a number of women are doing a bump and grind on top of the bar, Cat is dancing with some of her favorite regulars on an elevated platform and driving the crowd wild, and there is one favorite song where everyone in the club gets into the music and the dancing. It’s a place full of excitement which makes Cathy very proud. I wanted to be there. I’m a big fan of Ms. Austin’s books but this is definitely my favorite. It’s a special story about wonderful characters and a really hot read.
Reviewed by Ellen Bunch
for The Road to Romance
May 9, 2006
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