One Good Man by Nona Raines (Review + Promo)

Title: One Good Man
Series: The Man, #1
Author: Nona Raines
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: August 5, 2011
Pages: 148
Buy Links: Barnes and Noble /Amazon / The Wild Rose Press / All Romance ebooks

Blurb:

Just one touch...that’s all Andie Benedetto wants when she glimpses her father’s sexy neighbor. Images of deep, long kisses and down and dirty sex heat up her fantasies. When he catches her watching him, she’s embarrassed but undeniably turned on.


Just one weekend...that’s all Matthew Vostek can offer Andie. He recognizes her shyness, but also senses her desire, the same desire he feels. Maybe they can fulfill each other’s hottest fantasies.

Just an adventure...that’s what Andie tells herself. Tired of playing the good girl, she’s ready to accept Matthew’s challenge and enjoy the most exciting sexual escapade of her life. But when the weekend is over, will Andie finally take what she wants instead of settling for second best?

Clean Excerpt

The first thing Andie noticed when she entered the living room was the wide smile on Matthew’s face. The second thing was the all-too-familiar book on the coffee table. “You...ah...what’s that?” She felt her heart thump erratically as she played dumb. Matt gestured easily with his hand. “I think you know what it is.” Her gaze flashed to his face. “After all, I found it at your place. I wasn’t snooping,” he assured her quickly. “It was right there on the kitchen counter. I'd have been blind to miss it.” “Uh-huh.” Andie was at war with herself. The scared Andie who liked to play it safe wanted to feel embarrassed. The other Andie, the one she became when she was with Matthew, wanted to look him in the eye and say so what? “Dr. D’s Dictionary of Desire,” he read, then gave her a look. “Imagine my surprise to find it sitting right out in the open like a cookbook.” “Imagine,” she murmured. She lifted her head and looked at him in challenge. “It looks so informative, I didn’t think you’d mind if a borrowed it.” “Not at all. And it is. Very informative.” Her voice was smooth. “But I must say, I’m disappointed.” Her tongue flicked her upper lip in a combination of nerves and lust. The smoky quality of his voice and his heavy lidded eyes were making her aware of the throbbing between her legs. “Disappointed?” she echoed. “I’m disappointed you didn’t want to share it with me.” Andie drew in a quick breath. Her flush grew deeper and her vision grew hazy from desire. Her voice sounded thick with longing. “We could share it now.”

Adult Excerpt

She crept to the glass door and froze. He was there, in the same place as the night before. But tonight Matthew was standing and staring right at her. A wave of heat flashed through her body, coating her in a sheen of sweat. At the same time she trembled as though caught in a snow squall. Again, her mind shut down, and her body took over. She unlocked the door latch, slid the glass panel open, and stepped onto the deck. The automatic sensors tripped the lights and she stood illuminated, the lights shining through the thin satin of her nightgown. Her nipples budded against the silky material and moisture pooled between her thighs. Matthew did not move. Instead of T-shirt and jeans, he wore sweat pants and no shirt at all. The dark hair on his chest tapered down until it disappeared below the waistband of those sweat pants. His face bore no expression, but there was the tightness of arousal in his features. Matthew didn’t move, didn’t speak, as Andie slipped across the deck, down the steps, and across the lawn into his back yard. Exactly as she’d done in her fantasy. In the fantasy, she glided smoothly into Matthew’s waiting arms. She didn’t step on a sharp stone with her bare foot and stumble like a clown. “Ow! Oh.” In the fantasy, Matthew didn’t rush to catch her by the arms to keep her from falling flat on her face. He didn’t need to hold her steady as she hopped on one foot wincing in pain. Andie finally managed to stand on both feet. Burning with embarrassment, she almost turned around to crawl back home in humiliation. Matthew’s breath brushed her ear. “Are you all right?” Her resolve stiffened. She grabbed his face and pulled him down for a hungry kiss. Andie claimed him with her kiss, while his lips worked softly against hers, his tongue exploring the soft moist interior of her mouth. His large hand cupped the back of her head, making Andie feel possessed and cherished at the same time. But Andie didn’t want to be cherished, didn’t want gentle and caring. She wanted wild and fierce. Wanted to feel his big hands rubbing all over her. It was better than her fantasy, running her hands over his shoulders, down his biceps, across his furred chest. His skin was so warm, so smooth. She broke the kiss and leaned in to lick his nipple, but he grasped her arms and gently pulled her away. “This way,” he murmured, his warm breath tickling her ear and sending tingles over her skin. He turned her and guided her toward the doorway, intending to take her inside. But Andie wanted something different. Tonight it was ladies’ choice. “No.” She pulled him in another direction, around to the side of the house hidden from the street. Matthew’s hand splayed on her lower back, burning through the light fabric of her nightgown as he followed her lead. They barely made it into the dark corner when Matthew pushed her against the siding, kissing her hungrily and pulling up the back of her nightgown, running his hands over her back and ass. Andie edged her fingers down the top of his sweatpants, teasing his belly and playing with the coarse hair leading further down. Then, growing frustrated with her play, she pulled the stretchy waistband to stroke his erection. He was hot. Hot and hard and velvety.

Review

I am in love with this book! It was refreshing to have both the protagonists have some sort of insecurities within themselves.

Andie was a little chubby in places and she didn't have much of a self-esteem. She was house sitting her father's house when she noticed her sexy neighbor. They've only greeted each other before. In the middle of the night, she glimpsed him sitting outside his house, drinking, while his dogs sat around him.

The next day, Andie's friend Tania was over and they were practically ogling the neighbor. Tania had confidence unlike Andie. She proceeded to call the neighbor over for a little break. His name was Matthew. Tania made small talk then made an excuse to leave. Matthew asked Andie if she would have ever asked him over if Tania was not there. She said no.

Sometime after her encounter with Matthew, Andie made a mistake of calling her boyfriend who decided he needed some space. She was in for something unpleasant. As a result, she decided to be a "bitch" - Being in Total Control of Herself. She went seeking Matthew and had a little hot encounter at the side of her father's house.

Somehow, Andie and Matthew ended up spending their weekend together, with Andie meeting Matthew's brother at the end of it.

"Here you go. Club soda." He handed her the bottle, noticing she had borrowed another one of his T-shirts. She looked cute as hell, her nipples poking against the soft cotton and t he hem of the shirt skimming her thighs.

"Thanks." She looked down at herself, indicating the heather gray shirt she wore. "Hope you don't mind--I have an aversion to walking around naked." He grinned, leaning against the doorframe. "Aw, you're no fun."

As with romance stories, the boyfriend-turned-ex came back for Andie hoping his charm still worked. Andie's father also had issues to deal with. In other words, she had a lot on her plate. It didn't help that she had developed feelings for a man who she thought was only using her. Matthew on the other hand thought the same thing. Complete misunderstanding on both parties!

Overall, the scenes were totally steamy between Andie and Matthew. I love Andie's resolve to change and leave behind her "boring" persona. I also loved that she was who she wanted to be with Matthew. He brought the best in her. I would definitely recommend this book!

BEYOND WORDS!!!

About the Author:

Nona Raines became hooked on romances when she first picked up "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen Woodiwiss (and she's not telling how long ago that was). Romances may have changed since then, but her love for a good love story has not. She's been writing off and on for years, but it was only when she joined the Central New York Romance Writers Association that she finally gained the support and confidence she needed to complete a manuscript.

Nona lives in upstate New York with her many pets and is currently working on her next novel. A former librarian, she enjoys reading books of all genres and discussing them with others. She is thrilled to finally be able to call herself an author and looks forward to hearing from readers.

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Arianne