Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews

Addicted by Devon Gray
The Wilder Rose Press, Scarlet Rose
Contemporary
Short Story, M/F
Review by Dandelion

Lose Control. Lose Yourself. Get Addicted.

It seemed like a great idea at the time--escaping for a summer with my best friend, leaving behind a job I hated and all my indecisiveness. Three months in a small beach town would clear my head, brighten my outlook on the future, guide me in the right direction.

I had no way of knowing what that summer would bring. The things I would be capable of, the lengths I'd end up going to, the intensity with which I would yearn. I had no way of knowing about him.

He came into my life like a summer storm--sudden, intense, with a threat of danger; flooding my senses until I was drowning in him. The problem with addiction? You crave what you need…whether it is good for you or not.

♥ ♥ ♥

This debut novel by author Devon Gray combines hot summer sex with emotional turmoil in a novella that will have you flipping the pages from the opening chapter. Jane, on summer vacation with her best friend Sara, finds herself inexplicably drawn to the handsome, mysterious, gray-eyed Stone. Despite Sara’s warnings, and despite Jane’s own inner voice, she spends every possible moment with Stone, engaging in the most mind-blowing sexual encounters she’s ever experienced. The control belongs to Stone, however; he determines when and where they’ll meet, how the sex will unfold, and when he’ll see her next. Though Jane knows she should be a strong, independent woman, she is addicted to the way he makes her feel and to the flashes of vulnerability she believes she sees in him.

Jane quickly decides she’s in love with Stone – and though she explains through the first-person narration that she knows her feelings are irrational, they also allow her to break down Stone’s walls. When she discovers the secret past that has created his unfeeling façade, she alone is the one to knock it down. The result is a moving final scene that turns to a satisfying happy ending for these two characters.

Some readers are going to take issue with Jane’s inability to reject Stone’s advances, as well as her conviction that she loves him after a few weeks of amazing sex. Until the final chapters, she does come across as a woman who is too easily manipulated by this guy. I found myself wishing Addicted was a longer story, because I think Stone’s actions – and Jane’s reactions to him – needed more development.

I did enjoy the first-person point of view, as well as Jane’s internal thoughts that begin every chapter and link her understanding of her own sexual –emotional addiction to her sister’s drug addiction. Also, Jane’s best friend Sara is a welcome breath of rational thought – well developed, humorous, and a strong counterpoint to the heroine.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the sex scenes themselves: they’re well written, super-hot, and balanced fairly well with the hero and heroine’s emotional journeys. Overall, I recommend Addicted as a hot read that examines our deepest secrets and exposes why we stay with the people who seem so wrong for us. I’ll be looking for more by Devon Gray!