Review: Sweet as Sin by Inez Kelley

SWEET AS SIN starts off with John Murphy, a successful YA writer walking over to his neighbour’s home to return a scarlet demi bra that flew into his yard on a gust of wind. Naturally, the lingerie catches his attention and causes erotic fantasies to fly and rumble around in his head.

I had a similar experience as this, though mind you, mine involved hot pink panties instead of the scarlet demi bra but I can tell you my story didn’t end up as fabulous or as delicious as John’s trip to his neighbour’s.

Why, I must ask. Why does this only happen in books? Inez Kelley, please rewrite the pages of my life so that THIS happens in it.

“Yeah, it’s a neighborhood tradition. Come over. Bring your wife and kids.”
A twitch danced along his upper lip before he grinned. “Can’t. Don’t have either.”
Livvy lowered her brows. A shiver slid along her skin and she fought the shake. He was far too cocky to encourage. “Then bring your girlfriend.”
“No girlfriend to bring.”
“Bring your boyfriend then.”
A bark of a laugh rumbled out. “Sorry, honey, you’re just stuck with me.”
“I don’t want you,” she snapped.
John leaned close. The scent of sunshine, man and power wrapped around her. “Maybe I want you.”

*shivers*

But I digress.

In all seriousness, this book was a fantastic read that captured my heart from the beginning and never let go until the very end. I read this book in one night with tears running down my cheeks. This from an author I have never read before and had no expectations of. Inez caught me by surprise and I can tell you that she has gained a new fan out of me.

SWEET AS SIN follows Livvy, a pastry chef and the dark and tortured writer, whose past still haunts him daily. I didn’t expect the emotion that Kelley evoked from me. Touched by the love that developed between Livvy and John and heart-broken when things began to shatter for them, this book took me on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. I didn’t think I could come to love and hate a character in equal measures. John Murphy is an extraordinary character that really came to life. Even as his outbursts caused me to step back a little, I still loved him. I can’t remember the last time a character felt so alive for me.

And then there is Livvy who has a heart made of gold and a spine made of steel. What she endures in this book to be with John is hard but magical. In those steps, she is able to go from a reluctant lover who needed some urgings from her sexy neighbour to a woman in love, someone willing to fight for it all.

This isn’t an easy read, there are some really dark places that this book delves into, but if you are looking for a tortured hero, then look no further, no one is as tortured as John Murphy. Similarly, John isn’t always the wickedly charming man as I’ve exampled above. As layers to his character are revealed, other darker sides of him are exposed as well. He says and does some really mean things that I don’t think Livvy deserved but he did what was necessary to push her away. For John, only his monsters are his companions.

Speaking of his monsters, I really enjoyed the glimpses into John’s characters in his writing. Jondi, Thorn and Vory gave the book additional life and served as a great way to get into John’s mind and see how it works.

Favorite Quote: “Love him hard. And when he pushes you away – and he will – love him harder.”

[about-author author=”Inez Kelley”]