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Rising, Freestyle (Xtreme Adventures, #2) by…
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Rising, Freestyle (Xtreme Adventures, #2) (edition 2011)

by Vivian Arend

Series: Xtreme Adventures (2)

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232976,373 (3.64)None
Fiction. Romance. HTML:

Stuck between a rock-solid man and a hard place...

Xtreme Adventures, Book 2

Melanie Dixon's body may have recovered from a horrific climbing accident, but her nerve is long gone. So is the natural enthusiasm for life she took for granted. Tired of being scared, beyond ready to conquer her fears, she pulls up stakes and moves to her brother's new hometown to start over. Her first step is the most terrifyingâ??to tackle the wall at the local climbing center.

Derrick James is mesmerized by Melanie's dark beauty, and equally impressed with her climbing abilities and determination. Watching her retune rusty skills spurs a desire to partner with herâ??on and off the ropes. Melanie's a compelling mix of wit, sensuality and vulnerability, and it's his delicious task to convince her the scars on her body are no match for the heat rising between them.

Then a man from Melanie's past shows up, pushing their relationship to the edge. Nathan King wants photographs for a "where are they now" series, but his side agenda is more personal in nature. A proposal that brings her out of her sensual shell and onto a precarious sexual ledge. Where trust is crucial...and too easily shattered.

Warning: This book may cause heart-pounding, body-shaking adrenaline attacksâ??and that's before they leave the climbing gym. Contains blindfolds, ropes and a healthy dose of voyeurism. Go onâ??you know you like to… (more)

Member:Bea_writer
Title:Rising, Freestyle (Xtreme Adventures, #2)
Authors:Vivian Arend
Info:Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (2011), Kindle Edition, 262 pages
Collections:Your library
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Rising, Freestyle by Vivian Arend

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Review done for http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot.com

Mel used to love climbing until a horrific accident left her with massive scarring and a fear of heights. She turns to Derrick, and his climbing tuition, after deciding that she has lived in fear for long enough. Watching each other’s body closely day after day leads to an attraction that neither can deny. Pretty soon, they are starting to enjoy their after-hours sessions as much as the climbing. A spanner is thrown into the works by the appearance of hunky photojournalist Nate. Mel has had a crush on Nate ever since she was in her teens, and he proves to be even less resistible than she remembers. Nate has tracked her down to do a “where are they now” piece on famous athletes. (Well, that’s the reason he gives her anyway!) It’s clear that Nate and Mel are attracted to each other, it’s equally clear that Mel and Derrick have started to develop feelings for each other beyond lust. The scars that the accident has left Mel aren’t only physical so can Derrick and Nate put aside their differences to try to heal her together?

My, oh my, I loved this book. I know you’re all in shock that I liked a ménage tale :D However, this is NOT a typical ménage. Melanie was a fabulously complex heroine. Before the accident, she was this fabulously talented and confident woman. The accident left her with physical scarring and this, along with the horrible comments made by a man she took to her bed, had left her introverted and ashamed. She had made the decision to begin her mental recovery long before she met Derrick and that strength of will made me like her. Derrick was amazing. Not only was he sexy, not only was he completely kinky but he was also the most generous lover I think I have met in a story such as this. Everything he did was to make her feel beautiful, to make her see that the scars were not the only thing that he saw. The sex scenes were explosive; I can safely put my hand on my heart and say Vivian Arend writes good sex! My favourite (yes, I’m going to put a spoiler) is a Shibari scene... I do love a man that can put rope to good use :D

At first, the addition of Nate caused me a little dismay. I don’t normally like bringing a third person into an existing couple, it tends to feel a little wrong. However, Nate isn’t brought in as traditional third. Nate is brought in as an aid to making Mel feel good about herself (Don’t worry readers, he enjoys being used in such a way!) He is another lovely man, a contrast to Derrick, but it’s clear that he cares about Mel just as much. One thing that I admire about this story is its foray into voyeurism. Anytime this has been touched on in other stories I’ve read, it has tended to feel a little seedy, a little peeping Tom-esque. In this book, it’s accepted and even used as a plot device. It was hot...I liked it!

This novella was fabulous. It had complex characters, kinky sex and a plot that you could sink your teeth into. I haven’t read the first in this series, but I managed to keep up OK so I don’t think sequential reading is essential!

I want a Derrick.
( )
  Scorchingrevs | Sep 21, 2013 |
Three years after suffering from a horrific climbing accident and rejection at the hands of her lover because of the scar tissue riddling her body, Melanie starts to develop a relationship with climbing instructor Derrick when her old crush Nathan shows up to take photographs of her successful recovery.

First up, Nathan... um, maybe I'm just not the right demographic for human interest stories, but his whole job assignment -- to find victims of horrific crashes years later and take pictures of them -- seemed creepy and, I don't know, fetishy?, exploitative? But, those sorts of stories sell reams of tabloids and newspapers, so maybe I'm in the minority on that. Melanie seemed ok with it, and that's really the important part for the story.

Melanie. I didn't really get her need to have an extra guy along to admire her body when she was already happily developing a relationship with Derrick. But, I also don't get the appeal of rock climbing, so I was totally willing to accept that as a personality quirk -- I still don't get it, but it does have enough internal logic within the story for me to be ok with it.

Strangely, it's Derrick that I found to be the most disappointing character. Nathan, I quite honestly didn't like, and Melanie isn't someone I totally relate with, but I admired her willingness to take risks despite her fears. But Derrick? He's too shiny, perfect. He's strong, smart, adventurous, gets along with Melanie's family, owns his own business, sees the internal and external beauty of Melanie, is happily willing to bring in another man to fulfill Melanie needs... just until the point when it would interfere with their relationship. I mean, he's perfect... perfectly boring. He has no quirks, no bad habits, no communication issues, no personal problems of his own. He's like wish fulfillment, not a real character.

But, like my lack of interest in human interest stories, I do expect to be in the minority on this. The writing is smooth and the characters and plotting are internally consistent. It was all just a little too smooth for my personal preference ( )
  thewalkinggirl | Jul 19, 2011 |
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Fiction. Romance. HTML:

Stuck between a rock-solid man and a hard place...

Xtreme Adventures, Book 2

Melanie Dixon's body may have recovered from a horrific climbing accident, but her nerve is long gone. So is the natural enthusiasm for life she took for granted. Tired of being scared, beyond ready to conquer her fears, she pulls up stakes and moves to her brother's new hometown to start over. Her first step is the most terrifyingâ??to tackle the wall at the local climbing center.

Derrick James is mesmerized by Melanie's dark beauty, and equally impressed with her climbing abilities and determination. Watching her retune rusty skills spurs a desire to partner with herâ??on and off the ropes. Melanie's a compelling mix of wit, sensuality and vulnerability, and it's his delicious task to convince her the scars on her body are no match for the heat rising between them.

Then a man from Melanie's past shows up, pushing their relationship to the edge. Nathan King wants photographs for a "where are they now" series, but his side agenda is more personal in nature. A proposal that brings her out of her sensual shell and onto a precarious sexual ledge. Where trust is crucial...and too easily shattered.

Warning: This book may cause heart-pounding, body-shaking adrenaline attacksâ??and that's before they leave the climbing gym. Contains blindfolds, ropes and a healthy dose of voyeurism. Go onâ??you know you like to

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