Seducing Steve

I've seen a bunch of these geek next door type books and was skeptical of yet another following the same theme but Maggie Well's Seducing Steve is a laugh-out-loud read with realistic dialogue and incredibly sensual scenes between two friends-turned-lovers. The story flow is a bit stop and go but the character’s chemistry and wit win out in the end.

Erotic romance novelist Sara Wright seeks the very passion she writes about for herself after leaving a marriage that proved to be more fizzle than sizzle. Her best friend and muse, Steve Larson, is not our typical romance hero. He’s described as a redheaded computer nerd with a slow, southern drawl though he does seem to have a steady stream of one-nighters. The two characters are good friends – have been since he bumped into her at a local coffee shop years earlier – turned lovers.

When Sara confesses that she’s attracted to him, Steve recognizes his chance to finally take their relationship to the next level. He has been in love with Sara since their first meeting but the timing has never been right. Now she’s come to him asking for his help with research for her latest book. Though he’s willing to take what he can get, he’s truly hoping for the whole package. The question is whether or not she feels the same way because although they have good sex, neither is willing to put a label on their new relationship.

Since my husband abhors the idea of reading romance, my favorite part – and the reason for some quite humorous scenes – is that Steve buys some of Sara’s books to do a little research of his own. He’s surprised at how hot her books are and uses them for a little bedroom creativity of his own. He’s determined to win her over by making her fantasies come true. But it’s when his own personality shines through that he wins this reader over.

I love these two characters and enjoyed seeing them make sense of their new relationship while trying to maintain their established friendship. The easy dialogue clearly exhibits their comfort and ease with one another; but the transition from friends to lovers isn’t oversimplified and has some bumps along the way that add more interest to this love story. This story has engaging characters, an interesting plot and fun dialogue. It is a good read.

RATING: 4 Yummy Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.

My review of SEDUCING STEVE by Maggie Wells  is also posted at: 
http://erotic.theromancereviews.com/viewbooksreview.php?bookid=2731