Talking After Midnight by Dakota Cassidy

Shields up, sugar—things in Plum Orchard are about to get real.  

Marybell Lyman is notorious for two things: 

Her look. The wicked hairstyle, multiple piercings and practiced sneer that say: "Stay back—I bite." 

Her voice. The syrupy lilt that's her bread and butter at Call Girls, the prim little town's flourishing phone-sex company. 

Hunky handyman Taggart Hawthorn is mesmerized by the contradiction: such sweet tones inside such a spiky shell! He wants to know more about mysterious Marybell, to hear more of her sexy talk—all for himself. 

But Tag's attentions, delicious as they are, have Marybell panicked. She's been hiding a long time. She's finally got a home, a job and friends she adores. She won't have it all snatched away by another stupid mistake—like falling in love. So when Marybell's past comes calling, she and the Call Girls will prove no one handles scandals like a Southern girl!

***

 I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Aww man - this is by far my favorite Plum Orchard book. I'm full up, ya'll! I can't even put into words how perfectly constructed this story was. The plot was amazing, the most complex one. The love scenes were great, the banter between the two main characters was great. It was funny, sad - heartbreaking really - romantic, steamy...it was everything a contemporary romance novel should be. Utter perfection. When I think Dakota Cassidy can't get any better, she does! I am in awe of her storytelling talent. There is a new standard around these parts - Dakota ruined the curve for every one else. I will compare all contemporary romances to Talking After Midnight. It is THAT good.

I'm actually surprised, because though I liked Marybell just fine, out of all the Call Girls, she was the one that stood out the least to me. I thought for sure Em's story would have been my favorite. But as I said in my review of Something To Talk About, Em is much better suited as a secondary character. I still stick by that, Emmaline was amazing in this book; she works best when she isn't the heroine.

This is the last book in the Plum Orchard series (guess it's a trilogy with a prequel). I don't want it to end. I really just want to beg her for more.

Uncensored comments straight from Kindle (sort of - it was a PDF, I took notes)

• "But it wasn’t as though there was any hiding from the three pretty faces full of concern, pressed against the glass of her front door like a trio of suction-cupped Garfields in the back of a car window." -  I'd forgotten all about those little guys!

• You can tell Dakota loves The Walking Dead, a lot of references to the show in her books as of late. ;)

• “I can’t just let you light my pilot for free.” - Oh, it'll be his pleasure *eyebrow wiggle*

• Awww! Second sex scene was not only hawt but the ending was so sweet! Put a smile on my face.

• HAHA Marybell's lack of self control when it comes to Tag is kind of pathetic, but in a VERY hilarious way. Cuz isn't that how love happens sometimes? ;)

• DOBY! :'(

• “I said you get the hell off this lawn or I’m gonna show you what a can of some good old-fashioned companionator whup-ass is, you bunch o’ flesh-eating vultures!” -  Oh LaDawn! This is what Dakota Cassidy does - in the middle of your heart breaking, and crying like a baby, you get this awesomely hilarious moment and it makes you laugh your ass off in between the tears and the snot.

• “I’m tired of it. You upset my woman. That upsets me. I want to smash your face in right now. The only reason I haven’t is that Maizy’ll be home any minute and I know Em would ground me for life if Maizy saw your blood all over the kitchen floor.” - Loved the image that popped into my head. Emmaline grounding Jax - HAHAHAHAHA!

Everyone should read this book. Even if you don't read the other ones in the series, please do yourselves a favor and read this book - it is amazing.

Something To Talk About by Dakota Cassidy

Emmeline Amos is sick of her ex saying she's boring and prissy. After all, she works for a phone-sex company! (As general manager, but still.) On a rare girls' night out, fueled by blender drinks and bravado, Em accepts a shocking dare—to handle a call herself. But it's tipsy Em who gets an earful from an irate single father on the other end of the line. Awkward. 

But not as awkward as discovering that same mad dad is Call Girls' gorgeous new programmer. Jax Hawthorne is still upset that his daughter called the "girlfriend store" on his behalf, but he can't deny he'd choose a hot-librarian type like Em if he were looking for love. Which he's not. 

Em wants to do more than just talk the talk. So she makes a bawdy bargain with Jax. They've both been burned before—this time, they'll keep it strictly physical. Except as soon as they settle on no strings attached, things start to get tangled….

***

 I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Something To Talk About is the second (or third if you count the prequel) installment to the new Plum Orchard series by Dakota Cassidy. The main character Emmaline Amos is introduced in the previous book, Talk Dirty To Me.

I was very excited to find out it was her story, I really dug her in Talk Dirty To Me, and she stole all the scenes she was in. We learn that Em used to be (and usually still is) a pushover, who was more concerned with not making a scene than standing up for herself and those she loved. I think the combination of her divorce and the cause behind it, and the dread of having to interact and be cordial to former mean girl Dixie was the catalyst for Em's change in attitude. Something To Talk About picks up right in the middle of Em's change.

Though I was very excited to read Em's story, I must admit I was a bit disappointed. I think Em makes a better secondary character than main character. I wasn't fond of her internal monologues - very wishy washy in nature and I think her thoughts made me like her a little less. As a secondary character we're not privy to those thoughts so we only get the dialogue from her and we can create our own inner monologues. I guess I had created her a little differently in my mind.

I still enjoyed the story as a whole. A lot more explicit sex than the other stories, which also took me by surprise seeing as this was uptight Em, but the scenes were hot, and they do vary from tame to sizzling. I will give you guys a heads up, the story is slow at first. The first 40 pages or so I had a hard time getting into; a lot of things getting set up for the real story. But trust me, things get interesting after that. And can I just tease and say there's a BIG secret that gets revealed in this story. Well, there's a few secrets, but I kinda saw all of them coming, except for one. This one dropped me on my ass!

And now for some random comments:

• Lusty goo - *giggle* eww that sounds so wrong! Don't ever use that again, Dakota!
• Oh my god, that first kiss!!! That scene was amazing! If there had been a guy around, I would have just grabbed him and kissed the shit outta him. That's how inspiring (and hot) that scene was.
• "Your couch is awful. My back will never be the same." Neither will my vagina. - Oh my god, I almost died laughing!
• Jax has a whole conversation with Jake in his mind - schizophrenic much? LOL.
• "Did we just have angry sex?" Hahaha gotta love Em!

Overall a nice story, but I will admit I did not cry, I didn't even get teary eyed, and that's a little disappointing considering the amount of tissues I've already used up on this series. 

 3.5 Stars

Talk Dirty To Me by Dakota Cassidy

Former mean girl Dixie Davis is back in town and it's payback time. Literally. Dixie is flat broke and her best—make that only—friend, Landon, is throwing her a lifeline from the Great Beyond. Dixie stands to inherit his business…if she meets a few conditions:
She's got to live in Landon's mansion. 
With her gorgeous ex-fiancé, Caine Donovan.
Who could also inherit the business. 
Which is a phone sex empire. 
Wait, what? 

Landon's will lays it out: whoever gets the most new clients becomes the owner of Call Girls. Dixie has always been in it to win it, especially when it comes to Caine, who's made it clear he's not going down easy. (Oh, mercy.) Can Dixie really talk dirty and prove that she's cleaned up her act? Game on!
Plum Orchard, Georgia, is about to get even juicier…

***

 I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

*Takes a snotty deep breath, and throws her tear soaked tissues away* I'm not even sure where to start. I love this series. I knew I would, after reading the prequel, Talk This Way. Talk Dirty To Me was just as funny, just as endearing, just as heartwarming, and just as heartbreaking. I know that reading the prequel, and getting to know Landon and the things that he did leading up to his death, made me appreciate certain scenes - like his funeral - a lot more. But even if you don't read the prequel, and even though in Talk Dirty To Me Landon is dead, he's so alive! His spirit and his essence is in every word of this book. I'm in awe by Dakota's talent. I don't know how she made a character that isn't really there so present. I almost wish the series would take a turn to the paranormal, just so somehow, someway Landon could come back from the dead. That's how powerful this character is. Not only did he impact the lead characters in these books, but I feel like he's impacted me as well.

But it isn't just Landon, I love everything about this series. I love the phone sex operator aspect of it, and all those cooky girls. I loved the story and history between Dixie and Cain, it was a terrific love story. There was nothing lacking, Dakota Cassidy executed every minute detail beautifully. I will say, even though I loved Dixie and this was her story, every time she had a scene with Emmeline, Em stole the show! I'm enamored with that little lady! And I looove their rapport, especially that whole talk about being each other's person. I'm all about a wonderful friendship just as much as a wonderful romance.

I can't stress enough how great Talk Dirty To Me was. I've been up since the day before, because I started reading this in the middle of the night and I could not put it down. I only took a pee break after hours of having to go, when my bladder finally decided it was about to explode.

If you love romance, if you love friendships, if you love love, if you love funny, witty, well written stories - this is the book for you!!! Get it - you can preorder it on Amazon, or get it when it comes out. Just get it.

Keeper shelf forever!

Talk This Way by Dakota Cassidy

If life is like a box of chocolates, Cat Butler has tasted them all—and decided on none. It's no wonder she can't keep a job, even though her mother's health depends on it. Just when she finds herself up a creek without a paddle—again—a benevolent friend throws her a lifeline. In the form of a job at, of all places, a phone sex hotline. Not exactly what she had in mind, but if it pays the bills for her mom's expensive nursing home, what's the harm?

Successful entrepreneur Flynn McGrady knows a thing or two about responsibility. So when his mother has a stroke, he knows the right thing to do is relocate to Atlanta to be near her while she recovers. He's got a plan for everything—except for feisty Cat, who finally gets his mama to talk again. Talk dirty, that is, and he's not pleased. Cat is gorgeous and sassy to boot…too bad she's not the type to settle down.

Cat and Flynn may have bigger fish to fry, but the sparks between them are hotter than hell. And when they finally give in to temptation, the results are explosive. Can a girl who follows her heart and a guy who follows his head find their way to forever?

***

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review.

 This is a new series by Dakota Cassidy, who is best known for her Accidental books -which are amazing, btw. I've been a fan of hers for years, and was very excited to read something completely different from her paranormal stories. This new series is contemporary romance and after reading this prequel to the Call Girls (a.k.a Plum Orchard series) I can safely say Dakota has done it again! I can tell this series is going to be special. She writes characters that you instantly become invested in. Not one character is the same which adds to the magic of her writing - it's one of the reasons I love her books.

Be warned, if you decide to read this book (and you definitely should) make sure you have tissues ready; you will cry - hell, you'll sob. Talk This Way will make you feel: you'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel love, and not just the romantic kind. Your heart may even get a little bigger after reading it; I know mine was very full of good emotions and felt bigger. I'm looking forward to continuing this series and these bunch of girls we've barely just gotten acquainted with.

Talk This Way comes out April 1st, and it's available on Amazon for pre-order.