RISKY RESTORATION finds new love for heartbroken female stalker
Author E.F. Dodd has crafted a clever and engaging romance novel with RISKY RESTORATION, populated by (mostly) likable characters. When independent Southern Belle Kesler “Kez” Walsh discovers her ex-boyfriend Miller is getting married, she gathers two of her BFFs and makes a pilgrimage to Rochester, NY to crash his high school reunion to see if he’s really moved on. Spoiler alert: He hasn’t. Kez and her pals are all successful twentysomethings, professional women who appreciate “the usual stuff — wine, travel, spa days.” The only thing missing is love — Kez has been nursing a broken heart since her boyfriend retreated back North after college. But on her way to finally confront she finds herself swept off her feet by sexy Jackson, a furniture restorer/musician with an MBA and a grudge against Miller. Before long, both men are fighting over Kez, while her BFFs hook up with local bartenders.
Every genre has its basic ingredients. Mysteries are made of murder, secrets, and a hero out for justice. Horror is about blood, beasts, and an “ancient evil.” Science fiction is built around space/time travel and alternate universes. Romance fiction has its own unique blueprint. Heartbroken characters meet serendipitously and learn to love again. An evil ex gets their comeuppance. Male heroes are financially well-off (often filthy rich) and physically fit, but seek something money and a gym membership can’t buy. The female leads are smart, sassy, and independent — but melt like butter in the intoxicating presence of primal, alpha-males. Witty banter is laced with sexual innuendo. There are passionate looks and tingling body parts, followed by a slow, oft interrupted, march to the bedroom where dazzling, life-altering sex occurs. In addition to checking these boxes, Dodd keeps her story on a well-plotted course, delivering all the feels romance readers expect, seasoned with witty double entendres.
There are a few instances where Dodd pushes the naughty into Sex and the City territory and the bulk of RISKY RESTORATION is PG-13 level flirtation and foreplay. Dodd understands the romantic build-up is as important as the act itself — anticipation creates excitement — and there are a few times when Kez and Jackson are interrupted before they can consummate their newfound love. When they do, it’s suitably steamy and satisfying for characters and readers alike — a romantic night inside a workshop/ barn beside Granny’s ancestral home, on a bed handmade by Jax himself! There is nothing too heavy or realistic here, but RISKY RESTORATION is a fun novel filled with romance, steamy chemistry, and second chances at love.
Love grows where it’s least expected — and lust blossoms instantly — in E.F. Dodd’s RISKY RESTORATION, a fun and frisky romance novel about broken hearts healing and new love taking root.
~Rob Errera for IndieReader
Reprinted from https://indiereader.com/book_review/risky-restoration/