Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Review: Laid Bare by Lauren Dane

LAID BARE
Berkley Heat
ISBN: 978-0425229712
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Menage, BDSM
Length: Novel

The Blurb:
Unexpected Desire…
It’s been ten years since clean-cut, sexy-as-hell police officer Todd Keenan had a white-hot fling with Erin Brown, the provocative, wild rocker chick next door. Their power exchange in the bedroom got under his skin. But love wasn’t in the cards just yet…
Now, life has thrown the pair back together. But picking up where they left off is tough, in light of a painful event from Erin’s past. As Todd struggles to earn her trust, their relationship takes an unexpected and exciting turn when Todd’s best friend, Ben, ends up in their bed—and all three are quite satisfied in this relationship without a name. As the passion they share transforms Erin, will it be enough to help her face the evil she thought she had left behind?
All this information was obtained from Ms. Dane's website.

This book was bought by myself and all thoughts expressed in this review are solely mine and Elaing8!!!
That is right you read right, Elaing8 has dueled up with me to review this book. IT was her that prompted me to hit the buy now button! She is evil, I tell you! =) LOL! And it is her first review on the blog ~ so please be nice to her!!

This review will be a little different because I have included what Elaing8 has to say about it. So... on to what you came here for.... This review is by Cecile & Elaing8! (Elaing8's thoughts are in red)

First let me say that is was my first Lauren Dane book - evaa - and will NOT be my last. I devoured this book. This book freaking took off like a bottle rocket from page one and did not stop till the last page. And hottness of this book left my fingers on fire!

Elaing8 - I enjoyed Laid Bare. This is the first book of Lauren Dane's that I read.
I read this book in one day. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It was a page turner.

I want to be Erin Brown when I grow up. She is a woman of amazing personality, strength, courage, love, devotion and self pride. Erin is woman who knows who she is inside and out. She is comfortable in her own skin and owns it. When we first met Erin, she is young - around her twenties. She owned herself back then. She knew who she was, what she wanted and apologized for nothing. Erin is a very strong character. She knows what she wants and goes for it.
I agree with you on that. She does go for it - whatever it is. The next thing I admire about her is that she will never push you; even though she knows you are capable of going farther than your limits.
Then we meet Todd... Erin's cop neighbor friend. **wink wink** Erin was a hold no bars woman, she knew that Todd watched her every evening while she unloaded her equipment from the bar they played at that night. So, one night her brother, Adrian (they shared an apartment) issued a challenge about her "holds no bar" attitude. So, with a six pack of beer and her body... she sashayed her way to Todd's apartment ~ set to "get to know" him a little better! Well, getting to know Todd better was something she did in spades over the course of the next months. They relationship was freaking explosive. She rocked his world and shook it the hell up. But in the end, Todd had a hard time accepting the true person he was. Erin would never push Todd for something he could not give... So... yea... my heart tore a little with that break up.
In my opinoin, Todd was unsure of who he was and what he wanted, but I liked the chemistry between him and Erin right away. I guess he was a little old fashioned.

Now, I can not go forward until I tell you about her brother's and they absolutely yumminess!! We have Brody (he is the oldest, owns a tattoo parlor) and Adrian (he is the baby and the rock singer). Their parents died when they were all in their late teenage years, so Brody took care of them. Their relationship together rocks this world. Makes me wish that I had that kinda of relationship. Ms. Dane did an awesome job of making me feel the emotion of this family. They are connected in a bond that is truly awe-inspiring. They got each other's back - NO matter what.
Now that I have gave you a taste of her brothers... let the story continue.

Lets fast forward ten years. Erin is in her early thirties. She is still her own woman, just broken inside. Something very tragic happened in her life. She was a rocker back then - in the good old days. Her and her brother Adrian had hit it big, MTV big. And life was good - until that one day. Her world absolutely broke and no where left to turn but the bottle of vodka and pain medication. Ms. Dane - again - did an awesome job of making me feel like Erin was real to me.
Something terrible happens to Erin and shatters her world, but she has to keep on living. She has a very strong support group in her brothers. That helps her through the rough patches.
Then Todd enters back into her life and becomes the rock I think she desperately needed. I love their relationship.

With the ten years that have pasted, both Erin and Todd have changed. Their lives each going in totally separate way from that fateful night back at their apartment. Now, Todd has moved back to Seattle and is trying to start fresh. With that fresh start, he decides to look up an old friend. Erin... still the woman he knew, but some how a little more jaded that before. They picked up right where they left off. Their chemistry never changed, never failed, and never altered. Their relationship is just so dynamic. Back then and now. Elaing8 was right when she said that Todd is Erin's rock. He was what she needed, what she had always needed.

When Todd came back to town he sought out two of his bestest best friends - Ben and Cope (two brothers). They opened up a security company together. All from families of cop, they knew what they were looking for.

In getting back together - Todd back in town with Ben & Cope and Erin back with her two brothers - the gang just got bigger. Family and friends meshed together. This is an awesome cast of characters that Ms. Dane has put together.

Now speaking of friends... Ben gets introduced to us with Todd. They have been best friends for life. They have shared everything - except each other. Well... that is until... Oh you thought I was going to tell you... Yea, I am evil.. But apparently Elaing8 thinks other ways... Enters Ben. I understand Todd wanting to share Erin with his best friend. To have some fun in their relationship. After all, Todd admits he loves to watch. And to see that Todd has come pass the person he has hidden for so long. I struggled with the relationship Ms. Dane put Todd and Ben through. I was hoping the thing with Ben would have just been a fling of some sort, that down the line he would have gotten his own book... But obviously that will not happen. That said, I enjoyed reading the journey this threesome has to go through from trusting each other to telling family that this is what they wanted and dealing with Erin's past. ~Together~
Our final thoughts:
This books is awesome. Ms. Dane created a world which I fell in love with. There were no small roles in this book. Everyone is awesome. The emotion is so raw and real. The love is just so.... there. You can actually feel Todd & Erin's love and devotion. You can also feel the angst Erin goes though. This is a very powerful book. The m/f/m relationship that Ms. Dane created took some time to get use to, but it worked and rocked! Ms. Dane's writing style is absolutely memorizing. I can not wait to see where the rest of the crew goes... and how their stories touch my heart!
I liked all the characters... Brody, Adrian, Cope yum. I also like how Erin's employee Ella's story was weaved through the book. I'm looking forward to reading Brody, Cope and Adrian's stories. And what happens next with Todd, Erin and Ben.



Thanks Elaing8 for doing this with me. I had a blast learning what she liked and what she did not like. I do not like to give spoilers away here... there is a lot more that we talked about that is not here! Sorry ladies... But if you want to discuss the book in your comments just put that it is to talk - so those who have not read this to skip that comment.

To read more of this explosive book, please go --->> here.

There is more of these bad boys... This is a tease of Coming Undone:

KEEPING IT TOGETHER
Brody Brown has always been responsible for others. After his parents’ death, he gave up a promising artistic career to care for his younger brother and sister. Now, with his siblings grown, Brody owns his own business, has a nice house, makes a nice living, and for the first time in years he’s on his own.
Elise Sorenson has come to Seattle with her young daughter to find peace. After years as a world-famous ballerina—(and just as many years in a marriage-gone-bad)—she’s looking for neither love nor attention. But she finds both in the handsome, honest man who befriends her with no strings attached.
More than friends, Brody and Elise discover in each other what they need—wild, physical passion without commitment. But it’ll take a shadow from Elise’s past to make them look beyond what they need—to what they truly desire.

To visit Ms. Dane's site, please go --->>> here.
To visit Ms. Dane's blog, please go --->>> here.
I am sure she would love to hear from you!!! =)
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10 comments:

  1. I enjoyed your duel review ladies and LAID BARE there is magic in these pagic I tell ya. LD knows her stuff when it comes to erotica romance and I'm so happy you've enjoyed LB so much. Coming Undone is more of a traditional erotica romance and now that Cope's story is on the radar it is counting the days until his release ;) There hans't been a novel from LD that I haven't loved...does this make me a fangirl now LOL

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  2. Loved, loved, loved Laid Bare! Have Coming Undone on top of my TBR pile. Just trying to find time to get to that darned ol' TBR pile!

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  3. I loved Laid Bare!!! I thought Dane did such a great job with Erin, Todd and Ben's relationship. I liked Coming Undone but I think I prefer the characters in Laid Bare, was more interesting to me.

    Great review!!

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  4. Nice dual review, both books are on top of my TBR pile and just need to finish one more book to read them next. Been saying that for 3 weeks or so now and this review pushed me into getting them out and putting them by the chair I read in so they are next!

    Thanks for this nice post and the GS book cover for The Darkest Passion, gonna be another good LOU book from Gena...

    jackie b central texas

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  5. I really liked this one too. I think it was KC's review that sucked me in. LOL.

    The only thing I wished for was more of Ben's POV. I know it was important for Erin and Cole to get their relationship working first, but still... I'm a demanding reader. :)

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  6. Cecile,
    Thanks for asking me to do this.And thanks everyone for the comments,I was nervous as I have never done a review before.But I had fun discussing this book with Cecile.Now on to Coming Undone.

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  7. First, let me start by saying **Thank you Elaing8** for doing this with me!! It was great to "talk" book with someone!!

    ~Leontine! Hey honey! Thank you! I enjoyed having Elaing8 over! Oh man does this woman freaking rock apples!!!! I love her writing style. I mean... this book was amazing. It kicked ass, my heart was broken, my heart was hurt... Erin picked it, put it back together and told me to get on with the story! It was that great of a ride! Oh what... fangirl... I think I am officially one now... I am trying to get my hands on whatever I can of her's, lol!

    ~Hannah! Hey honey! OH gosh! I have the same feelings! Oh I will find time to read Coming Undone. I have tried not to pick up any other book until that one comes in. I want more Brown family!

    ~Smokinhotbooks! Hey hon! OH gosh, love this book! Can not say that enough!!! This book was absolutely phenomenal. Well, I can not get enough now... I am stalking my postoffice people - wanting to know where is MY book! They are probably reading it before they give it to me! Damn people!

    ~Jacabur1, welcome!! I am so glad that you stopped by! Please make yourself at home! =)
    Thank you! Oh if these books are on the top of your TBR pile, I urge you to put down what you are reading now... and start reading this book!!! These brothers are freaking hot!!! And sisters are kick ass!

    Oh, I have to include my LOTU book! I saw that this morning in my inbox and knew exactly where he was going. I read this series before I started blogging but man oh man oh man... these men are freaking hot!!!

    ~Kris, thanks for coming over! I have to say that I am very glad that this was my first Dane book. I am now a sucker for anything with her name on it. I can not say it was a particular review for me that did me as much as the cover and the blurb.
    And you are right... Ben... Elaing8 was hoping he would have gotten his own story. I know the m/m in my was kinda hoping that too....

    ~Elaing8! Thank you again! I hope you had as much fun as I had doing this... And girl you had nothing to worry about it! You did great! it was great talking about this book with someone... and you are so right... Bring on Coming Undone!!!! I have yet to get it in my hands... hopefully by the end of this week!

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  8. I loved the way you two did this duel review together! I really want to read this series, and I have the first two books on my ereader already! A lot of yumminess to look forward to :)

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  9. Great Review Ladies! I loved Laid Bare and you two hit on everything that worked for me as well. I can't wait to hear what you think of Coming Undone :)

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  10. ~ErotRomReader (Janna)! Hey honey! Thank you very much. Elaine and I had a blast doing. I had so much fun talking about this book with her! Oh I can not wait to dive into Coming Undone. I am learning that I really love Ms. Dane's writing style. Especially with Laid Bare. For all the hype I have seen around blog land about this book, I am glad to see that this book lived up to the hype!
    Oh girl, you are in for alll types of yummminessss!!! Get a bid you will be drooling!! And tell Mr. Erotic to watch out while you read!!!!

    ~Tricia! Hey honey! Oh this was an awesome book! Be on the look out for our thoughts on Coming Undone! Thanks for coming!

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I want to thank you for stopping by my place... I hope to see you again!!
I hope you enjoy my little bloggie home as much as I do!
With hugs, love and smiles... Cecile

My Fictional Smutty Boyfriend.... =)

"Quotes"