All The Wrong Places by Karin Kallmaker is an erotic romance with a lot of steamy sex, family drama, and all the angst you could hope for with a main character falling for her straight best friend.
Brandy Monsoon is a player and has been happy to scratch her sexual itches with every straight woman who wants to experiment with her at the resort where she works. The fun of those encounters is wearing off, however, and the only truly satisfying sex she’s having anymore is the semi-regular, no-strings time she spends in bed with her straight best friend with benefits, Tess.
When a tour group of lesbians comes to the resort for a week, Brandy is excited at the chance to have sex with other actual lesbians. She’s also thrilled to see that her favourite comedian, Celine Griffin, is there as entertainment, and even better still, Celine makes it immediately clear that she wants to sleep with Brandy. Their sex is great, but something is off, and things only get more confusing when Brandy sees Tess with a blonde in the tour group.
The Characters
All The Wrong Places by Karin Kallmaker is told in the first person from Brandy’s perspective. She’s athletic and fun, and refreshingly unapologetic about her sexual appetite. Brandy has an excellent arc as she figures out that she both needs and deserves love and who she needs it from. Her terrible relationship with her family is a good reminder that not everyone has an easy coming out story, and her friendship with Tess shows how family can come from anywhere, even as the nature of the relationship changes.
Tess is thoughtful and kind, and her attraction to Brandy is clear, even when it’s not clear to Brandy. I wasn’t so sure about whole thing with her hormones, but what do I know? My hormones were responsible for me murdering half a pint of Ben & Jerry’s tonight…
The Writing Style
This is the first erotic romance I’ve read from Karin Kallmaker, and it’s a good one. I particularly liked how Brandy’s first sexual encounter with Tess was shown through her memories, woven throughout much of the book.
The Pros
Brandy is the best part of the book. Her voice is so strong and her arc is so good, I just love her.
The Cons
The first chapter didn’t do it for me, especially the first sexual encounter, and that thing I mentioned about Tess’s hormones. That said, I’m so glad I stuck it out because I had a great time with the rest of it and I ended up loving Brandy and Tess as a couple.
The Conclusion
There’s a lot to love about All the Wrong Places, and if you’re looking for an erotic romance or a story about friends becoming lovers, I definitely recommend it.
Excerpt from All The Wrong Places by Karin Kallmaker
I was at the back of the class, and if the landscape had been sublime with all of those lovely women on their backs, it was even better when they all touched their toes.
I guess I was no better than a guy, ogling all that female flesh, but at least I didn’t think I owned it or had a right to it. I was just enjoying the view, in all its variety. There was no end to the diversity of women’s butts.
Tess caught me at it, and I blushed.
Looking wicked, she said, “Brandy, maybe you’d like to help me go through the arms portion.”
Well, damn. I nearly pouted, but as I reached the front of the class and regarded the rows of muscle-shirted, tank-topped and sport-braed figures it was all okay.
Maybe someday I would grow up, but I hoped never to be so closed up that I couldn’t look at women and feel the magic of the female working in my blood.
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 978-1931513760
- Publisher: Bella Books
- Karin Kallmaker Online
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Note: I received a free review copy of All The Wrong Places by Karin Kallmaker for review. No money was exchanged for this review. I will always review books as honestly as possible and on occasion I refuse to review books.
