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As Reviewed for link:

Wicked Burn is the second title I’ve read from Beth Kery, but I can promise you, it won’t be the last. It’s the story of two people with very painful pasts that come together by chance and explode with kind of passion that could only be proclaimed by destiny.

The story begins with Vic Savian, hugely successful playwright and part-time farmer, who is in Chicago for three nights a week to see to the opening of his new play. While in his apartment late one night, he hears his elusive but beautiful neighbor, Niall Chandler, being accosted by her date, despite her repeated rebuffs. Luckily for Niall, Vic steps in.. Also lucky for her, he does it without a shirt.

From the moment Vic and Niall share a page, the sexual tension blazes. Vic has wanted Niall from the first moment he laid eyes her. She’s not his usual type. Being six-foot-three with a body honed by manual labor, he likes his women tall and lush. But for whatever reason, the petite blonde from across the hall brings his libido ragingly to life.

Niall Chandler is a curator at the Metropolitan Art Institute and lives in the Riverview Towers, across the hall from Vic. Niall hasn’t been with a man in years, but watching Vic move about his apartment with no shirt on, makes her very aware of how her body responds to his. It doesn’t take very long for all of that sexual tension to erupt into full fledged carnality. The sex scenes between Vic and Niall are so steamy and lascivious I thought at times that I might go up in flames!

But Wicked Burn isn’t just about the sex. (Though I couldn’t imagine the book without it). The relationship between Vic and Niall is so raw in everyway, the sex between them is just where the common ground begins. When people ask why I prefer sexually explicit romance, I usually explain that sex is a language all-its-own. It tells me as much, if not more about the relationship between the characters, as the dialogue. There is no better example of said language, than in Wicked Burn.

But that’s not all that can be said about this book. The plot is fully developed. The characters are layered and complex. The story takes twists and turns you don’t expect. If I had to use just a few words to describe Beth Kery’s writing, I would choose ‘iron fist in a velvet glove�. That is to say � the author’s words are very profound, so smooth and beautifully textured, and yet pack such an emotional wallop, at times it takes you by surprise. I found myself going back a few sentences more than once to savor the prose so eloquently put to page.

Both characters have heartbreak and tragedy in their pasts that they, for whatever reason, seem unwilling to share. Even though I loathe couples who have obstacles of their own making because of lack of communication, in this case-I get it.

Imagine for a long period of time, you only existed, not lived, but just went through the motions of everyday life. Then, when you least expected it, something or someone crash landed into your life and reawakened in you, the parts you had long ago relegated to the deep-freeze. Would you be so willing to risk rejection by telling them the truth? It would be so easy to talk yourself into keeping the past in the past for just one more day. To be able to experience all of the sensual, wanton pleasure only that person can make you feel. Maybe it’s not even fear of rejection, but the ability to live without the black cloud of the past hanging over you and your momentary happiness.

Vic and Niall have obstacles to overcome, but it’s very enjoyable to watch unfold. There are so many great things about this book, I can’t list them all. Just know you’ll enjoy all this book has to offer. Definite recommended Read.

What I loved about Wicked Burn:

-The scene with the pearls. Whew! Who knew pearls could be so hot! I love a man who can get creative in bed, or against a door. Wherever.
-Vic is a Dom, not in the traditional, wears leathers and has a St. Andrew’s Cross in his bedroom capacity, but a Dom none-the less.
-The toys.
-There is panty ripping. Anybody else a sucker for panty ripping?
-Niall puts trust in Vic, even though she has every right not to.
-Niall is so sweetly submissive, she tests the limits of Vic’s control. That kind of exchange is always fun to read.
-Phrasing like, “The sounds of her moans and whimpers spiced the boiling brew of his arousal.� Love, love, loved it!
-Vic and Niall have several, I-can’t-wait-another-minute-to-have-you scenes. I inhale those!
-Couldn’t put it down. Stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. Another sign of a great book.
-The scene in the unfinished condo. Hot!

What I didn’t like about Wicked Burn:

-I would have like the ending fleshed out a little more, once all of the truths come out or an epilogue, perhaps. Even without that, it’s a stellar book.


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