Off The Clock on January 5, 2016 Genres: Contemporary, Dating & Sex, Love & Romance, Romance
Format: ARC
Overtime has never felt so good…
Marin Rush loves studying sex. Doing it? That’s another story. In the research lab, Marin’s lack of practical knowledge didn’t matter, but now that she’s landed a job at The Grove, a high-end, experimental sex therapy institute, she can’t ignore the fact that the person most in need of sexual healing may be her.
Dr. Donovan West, her new hotshot colleague, couldn’t agree more. Donovan knows that Marin’s clients are going to eat her alive unless she gets some hands-on experience. And if she fails at the job, he can say goodbye to a promotion, so he assigns her a list of R-rated tasks to prepare her for the wild clientele of The Grove’s X-wing.
But some of those tasks are built for two, and when he finds Marin searching for a candidate to help her check off her list, Donovan decides there’s only one man for the job—him. As long as they keep their erotic, off-the-clock activities strictly confidential and without strings, no one will get fired—or worse, get attached…
Overtime has never felt so good…
I’m a huge fan of Roni Loren, and this book only solidified that for me. I’m pretty sure that this is actually going to become my favorite series by her.
Off The Clock starts out in the past, introducing us to Marin Rush and Donovan West… Marin a freshman and Donovan a grad student find themselves spending Spring Break on campus. Marin knows exactly who Donovan is … he’s the TA she’s had a crush on since she first saw him, and their chance … somewhat awkward meeting has her not only pretending she’s someone a lot more experienced than she really is, but offering him assistance with his “Scripted Dirty Talk” dissertation.
Everything isn’t simple in either of their lives though, and when things finally move forward between her and Donovan it’s amazing…
His gaze rolled over her, a slow, seeking perusal. Something dark and tense glinted in his eyes. “You didn’t get to finish.”
“I’m fine,” she bit out.
“You’re out of breath and…” His focus shifted down her body. “And wet.”
She glanced down. Saw the telltale spot announcing how turned on she was through the thin cotton of her shorts. Oh shit. Oh God. Oh fuck. Mortification like none she’d ever experienced bled through her. Her thighs snapped together. “Can you please not make this worse with your analytics? Just let me be embarrassed in peace.”
His blue eyes met hers, the tired resignation from earlier gone and replaced with something she’d never seen before from him – intent. “Let me help.”
“What?”
“I made you a promise to keep things professional. I’ll keep that promise if you want me to.” He reached down and took the hand she’d been using on herself in his. He traced his thumb over her fingertips, setting the sensitive pads on fire. “But I fucking want you.”
But then something happens that changes her life and forces her to make some major changes… changes that don’t include a future anything with Donovan. Not even a proper goodbye.
Nine years later, we’re in present time and we find out what Marin’s life has been like. Making ends meet for her and her brother it’s been a struggle, but she’s doing it. But the grant that pays her salary is being eliminated and she’s got to find a job and she turns to The Grove, a private institute in Louisiana that needs a clinician in their sex therapy department.
The one thing she wasn’t expecting when she arrived at The Grove, was Dr. Donovan West.
Their connection is just as bright nine years later and I loved getting to see these two reconnect. Not only as therapists and eventually sexually, but as friends. As sex therapists they have to be able to keep a straight face and not judge when working with their clients and that’s the one thing that Marin seems to be struggling with. Dr. West offers to make her shameless and can I just say that he does quite the job?
It’s no secret that Loren can write some amazing and hot and sexy, steamy scenes and I have to say that these have got to be some of her best by far in my opinion.
But like I said before they both have their demons, and while Marin may have dealt with hers, Donovan has simply pushed his aside and locked them behind doors. He doesn’t do relationships no matter how Marin might make him feel. This thing between them has an expiration date and nothing will change that.
You might say… oh no another guy who doesn’t like commitments or want to be in a relationship… but it really is so much more than that. I loved that Marin, while less experienced than Donovan also wasn’t afraid to call him out on his shit and when all is said and done, she doesn’t turn her back on him either.
And that was refreshing.
As I said, this is probably my favorite book of Loren’s, but I’m excited for more from the characters in this series. Not only to catch a glimpse of these two in the future, but to find out what the future holds for some of her amazing secondary characters from this book!
Get this one on your To Be Read list immediately if Contemporary Romance is your thing!
Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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