Guilty Pleasure

Oh, I really wish I had liked this book more. I don't know why, but I always seem to be somewhat disappointed by books that Lora Leigh writes. I think it has to do with her books all seeming to follow the exact same formula/outline.

Even if the characters are supposedly from different backgrounds and face different struggles, they all seem to be the same. They all say the same things. (If I have to read the words "so pretty" by a guy who sees a girl in her underwear or sans underwear again, I think I might just scream.) They all have the exact same sex scenes. Her books might be okay for someone who just reads one of them, then never reads another story by her. For those of us who read more of her work, it starts getting a bit boring.

ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From Goodreads: Marty Mathews had always known about the secret, forbidden pleasures that the women she had grown up with enjoyed. Women whose husbands or lovers were members of the exclusive "Club," where they took a selected "third" into their beds. And there is one man—a dangerous, forbidden man—who is part of this world and who has haunted Marty's dreams for years. But she had been the FBI agent assigned to shadow him, making him completely off limits. . .That is until Khalid is cleared and Marty is released from her assignment. Now, all bets are off. . .

The beautiful, fierce Marty Mathews is the one woman Khalid hungers for like no other and is the one woman he dare show more not let himself have. His past dogs his every step and danger lurks around every corner. If he wants to keep her safe, he must stay away from her. But the power of their desire is something they cannot deny—and once Marty is his, Khalid will do whatever it takes to keep her in his bed and in his arms.

Marty is one stubborn and mouthy main character, out shined only marginally by her very attractive long-time crush, Khalid. Their years-long lust for one another has been pushed to the side for so long that they're do for an explosive meeting. Too bad Khalid's past has a way of coming back to ruin everything. Guilty Pleasure, Bound Hearts Book 11, re-introduces Khalid to readers. He's everything Marty's two fathers don't want for her, but at the same time know she's going to end up with. There's romance, angst, a secret club, very hot smut, and too many secrets to count! Guilty Pleasure was a quick read for me, I wanted every hot menage scene and to find out what happened between the main characters as they battled against Khalid's dark past. This one is definitely a page turner and has a promising plot filled with FBI agents and fight scenes.

I wanted to love Guilty Pleasure, because each character is so well developed and complex when standing alone, but the chemistry and connection between the characters just fell short for me. I expected the pent up lust and angst-y plot to play out with steam and some intense dialogue, but besides some very good smut scenes, I didn't get attached or feel anything for the characters. As the book continued I felt more confused by the main character's actions and then when the ending came I just felt like it wasn't enough. The story felt unfinished for me and I really wanted to see what happened for all three involved in the menage. Fingers crossed we get something for Shayne!

While Guilty Pleasure didn't wow me, it is still a solid book from Lora Leigh. I really loved the funny dialogue, constant battle between family and relationships, as well as the never ending secrets that seemed to pop up from every page. I continue to enjoy every character that Lora Leigh writes and really hope to see more for Shayne in the future. show less

This addition to Lora Leigh's "Bound Hearts" series features all the essential points of the previous books: stunningly attractive men, a strong-willed woman, and cameo appearances by known characters, all set against the sexual tension of menege games. While some of the characters will be familiar to the reader from other "Bound Hearts" books, the vast majority have never been even mentioned before, making the connection to other books in the series mostly by association with "The Club". The cameos of familiar characters are very brief and often seem somewhat gratuitous, leaving the impression that the characters' appearances were more of a ploy to gain the support of longtime Leigh readers rather than a substantive addition to the show more plot.

As with many of Leigh's "Bound Hearts" books, "Guilty Pleasure" also has mild overtones of suspense writing. This is effective as far as it goes. However, the story seems to rely heavily on Middle Eastern stereotypes and the anti-Arab sentiment of Post-9/11 USA, despite Khalid's role as leading man in the story.

Unfortunately, what "Guilty Pleasure" also does not have is closure. Although the suspense aspect of the storyline is resolved, the relationship component is left at a sudden and unsatisfying stop. There is no "after" once the story's climactic danger scene is over. The book simply ends as if the publisher decided to save money on printing by eliminating the final chapter.

Although it is an enjoyable read, complete with a number of steamy sex scenes, "Guilty Pleasure" is not one of Ms. Leigh's best works, even within the "Bound Hearts" series. While it adds to the overall "Bound Hearts" collective chain of stories, it is one of the weaker links. show less

There were some definite ups, like Khalid and Marty as two separate entities. And then there were some downs, such as Khalid and Marty as a couple, it just didn't give me all those nice feels.

I have waited for Khalid's story for a very long time and Ms. Leigh don't disappoint me. Khalid is all sexual, alpha male. He could be the dream man of so many women but he has only had one woman on his mind for a very long time. There was a haunting quality to Khalid that touched in such a way that I hoped he would finally take the woman that he watned so badly. His history is so sad and so wrong is so many ways. I can wait to see if his ass of a father finally gets what he deserves. I also hope that there is a solution for the Vince Deerfield problem in the next book. This is another man that needs to be taken out of the picture. I love these stories and while the original stories with Ellora's Cove were had more Domination/submission show more in them these are very hot. I look forward to several others that are part of the "club" having their own stories soon. show less

I read the others, so figured since I had a gap from the library, why not? It continues the menage and "Club" series. She really really dropped the ending Built up about Khalid's evil brothers and how he has to protect her from being killed by them. Sure one shows up at the end and is shooting at Marty, but after all the shooting is done, there's really no wrap up, you're just dropped there with a couple simple "I love you"s. Are they going to continue to be a menage?

Have to give it 5 only because I had been waiting for a million books to read this one. The way Khalid speaks just makes me smile for some reason.