Just This Once

This was the strangest romance novel I have ever read.

And it was entirely unrealistic. (Ed note: this will be a spoiler-filled review because I have to tell you what happened in order to tell you why it was strange and unrealistic).

Shannon is a Presbyterian minister's daughter and she has chosen to run far from home as an act of rebellion. While still trying to maintain the good girl image, she has intense fantasies of being a bad girl (which, in this context, means she has lots of sex with someone her parents wouldn't approve of).

So when the opportunity arises for a fling with a bad boy, she takes it, certain that it will only ever be a one time thing.

Rick is a cop who lives adjacent to Shannon. When they meet, the first words out of pure, demure Shannon's mouth are “Boxers or briefs?” because she just thinks he is oh-so-attractive while simultaneously looking like a thug (at this point, she doesn't know he's a cop).

He, of course, thinks she's drop dead gorgeous. And he eventually propositions her. She doesn't immediately agree, so he tells her to give him “the signal” – leave her bathroom blinds up and the light on (because he can see her house from his).

She, of course, gives him the signal.

And it's the best sex she's ever had.

But eventually – and here's where the strangeness comes in – sex isn't enough for him. He starts trying to find out more about her, her family, where she's from, etc. But she shuts him down every time. He gets angry because she's using him for sex.

Yes, you read that right. The male protagonist in a romance novel gets angry after starting a fling with clear boundaries because she is using him for sex.

And then they both end up miserable (because of course she wants more too, she's just scared of her parents).

Yeah, really.

Of course, it wouldn't be a true romance if there wasn't an HEA – but I'll leave some mystery and let you read it for yourself to find out how it happened.

Just This Once by Trish Jensen was simply too unrealistic for me to seriously enjoy.