Review: Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson

Dirty Talk by Megan Erickson

Book Two of the Mechanics of Love series

Publisher: Avon Impulse

Publication Date: September 15, 2015

Rating: 3 stars

Source: eARC from Edelweiss

***Warning: this is an adult book, and for the eyes of mature readers***

Official Summary:

Brent Payton has a reputation for wanting to have fun, all the time. It’s well-earned after years of ribbing his brothers and flirting with every girl he meets, but he’s more than just a good time, even though nobody takes the time to see it. When a new girl walks into his family’s garage with big thoughtful eyes and legs for days, this mechanic wants something serious for the first time.

Ivy Dawn is done with men, all of them. She and her sister uprooted their lives for them too many times and she’s not willing to do it again. Avoiding the opposite sex at all costs seems easy enough, until the sexy mechanic with the dirty mouth bursts into her life. 

Brent can’t resist the one woman who sees past his devil-may-care facade and Ivy finds it harder and harder to deny how happy he makes her. But Ivy has secrets she hasn’t shared and when the truth comes out, she must decide if she’s willing to take one more chance on love or let him go forever.

What I Liked:

I liked this book but didn't love it. Dirty Thoughts was much better, in my opinion. There are a couple of things that I didn't like about this book that are specifically Alyssa dislikes, but overall, this one is probably my least favorite Erickson novel that I've read. Of course, three stars isn't bad!

Brent is a flirt, the not-serious Payton, the jokester. He has a reputation among women, and his coworker Alex's, Ivy, knows all about this reputation. Brent is interested in Ivy, but Ivy shuts him down before he can even begin. What is lurking behind Ivy's walls? Ivy doesn't swoon or fall at Brent's feet, and she's got a host of reasons to stay away from him. Except that most of them have nothing to do with Brent. 

I absolutely love this series's males. Hot mechanics? Yes please! Brent and Cal are the two mechanics in the family (and Jack, their father), and both men are super sexy men! I prefer Cal to Brent (I think?) but it's a pretty close competition. Cal and his grumpiness really appeals to me! But Brent and his flirtiness also appeals to me (flirtiness is now a word). Cal was our male protagonist in Dirty Thoughts, and the oldest Payton brother.

So I liked Brent, a lot. I had a feeling that I would, so I'm glad I wasn't disappointed. Ivy, meh. I didn't love her, but I didn't hate her. I feel like I didn't connect with her at all. She seemed one-dimensional, despite having a boatload of problems from her past, present, and future.

So Ivy was a bit meh for me. I like Alex a lot - that's Ivy's sister, and Brent/Cal's coworker. I can't wait to read her book next. The other Payton brothers show up in this book, as well as Jenna, Julian, Delilah, and other favorites from Dirty Thoughts. I like that the cast was fairly reoccurring. 

The romance is pretty steamy! Definitely not Erickson's steamiest chemistry-filled book, but it was s steamy one. Ivy is totally reluctant to even hang out with Brent, let alone get up close and personal. But when some of her walls finally start to come down, the chemistry hikes up.

The drama in this book was a bit much for me, but overall, the story was good. I wasn't feeling it like I was Dirty Thoughts, but I have no regrets with this book. On to Dirty Deeds!

What I Did Not Like:

Ehhhhh. Ivy, I didn't like her or hate her. I couldn't get a good read on her. She seemed one-dimensional, like I said earlier. Like she had no personality. Maybe because she was constantly hiding behind her walls, all we see is a scared, expressionless woman. Boooooring.

I don't see the attraction. Okay, I can see why Ivy is hot for Brent. But not the other way around. Why did Brent become fixated on Ivy? Where was the attraction - was it the chase? Her body? I'm not clear as to what drew him in. 

POSSIBLE SPOILER AHEAD: Ivy has a kid. She's six, and totally cute, but I generally dislike romance novels with children involved. Children are such cock-blocks, and I just don't like having a plot working around a child. Especially a small child. Or an older child. Just... no child.

The drama towards the end of this book was annoying. So, so annoying. To begin with, the Big Issue and climax seemed anticlimactic. Nothing happened! He said she said, but nothing happened. Yet a ridiculous amount of drama ensues, Ivy and Brent's relationship is affected, and it just feels so forced, fake, and unnecessary. Also? Brent is too forgiving.

Maybe I'm just cold, I don't know. In any case, this book didn't do it for me. 

Would I Recommend It:

I actually don't recommend this novel. Like I keep saying, Dirty Thoughts was REALLY good. Try that one. Or Erickson's Brazen novels. But this one, you can avoid, skip, never read. It's not that good of a romance novel, and I didn't really enjoy it. I liked it, but I didn't enjoy it. Heck, did I like it? I think I did. I wouldn't read it again though.

Rating:

2.5 stars -> rounded up to 3 stars. I will be reading Dirty Deeds - I have faith in Alex's story! But Ivy, ehhh. Not that fleshed out of a character, or that great of a heroine. Brent was swoony! Hopefully the male protagonist of book three is steamy and swoony as well. This was the "worst" Erickson book I've read (three stars isn't bad though), but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading her books!

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