Laura’s Review of Undressed (The Manhattanites, #2) by Avery Aster

Synopsis

Book 1 in The Manhattanites series.

Milan’s notorious playboy, Prince Tittoni, seems to have everything—Lamborghinis, exotic women, palaces throughout Europe and business success. Ramping up his fabric company to go global with a new apparel brand, he ruthlessly stops supplying fabrics to the American client who inspired the collection. But once they meet, what’s he willing to give to get her in his bed?

Upper East Side designer Lex Easton has already endured her fair share of hard knocks. She’ll be damned if she’ll let an Italian stud muffin knock her down. So what if she named her favorite vibrator after him? With Fashion Week approaching, she’ll do whatever it takes to secure the fabrics she needs to make her clothing line an international success—even sleep with her rival.

Lex’s Louboutins are dug in deep to win this war. All’s fair in love and fashion!

Inside Scoop: Though the hero and heroine remain monogamous, their Prada-wearing friends indulge in a ménage a trois and other fashionable sexual fun and games.

What I Loved

        I like books that push me out of my comfort zone because in a way I get to explore something I’ve never would have even thought of.  But I felt like there were points in the sex scenes especially where the characters almost took on a cartoonish quality.  I don’t have problems with stories not based in reality, I mean HELLO it is fiction.  Yet there were times that things kind of got ridiculous rather steamy or sexy.  I’m not going to give anything away but I rolled my eyes a certain point and cringed a little.

          I really liked the plot of the story, in a lot of ways is was original so I wasn’t bored and the story was never too predictable.  There was so much detail not only about Lex and Massimo’s looks but also the descriptions of Milan and Isola di Girasoli.  I absolutely loved that because it painted such a magnificent picture for me which totally helped me get more involved in the plot.  I loved not only the descriptions of the main characters and the locations but the supporting characters as well, getting to know them helped me get more involved in the main characters’ story.  It’s few and far between for me to find a book that I feel has the details I’m looking for and this book definitely had that. 

Not So Much

          I like books that push me out of my comfort zone because in a way I get to explore something I’ve never would have even thought of.  But I felt like there were points in the sex scenes especially where the characters almost took on a cartoonish quality.  I don’t have problems with stories not based in reality, I mean HELLO it is fiction.  Yet there were times that things kind of got ridiculous rather steamy or sexy.  I’m not going to give anything away but I rolled my eyes a certain point and cringed a little.

          Also I felt like there was this big inconsistency in Lex Easton, rather than making her come off as a more complex character it came off as incongruent to me.  Lex when it comes to love interests is a little bit more passive, yet there were times she was almost inappropriate with her sexuality.  There is a point in the story where she meets this man and shamelessly checks him out and tells him how hot he is and other times freely talks about her vibrator. It just didn’t vibe with the woman who likes to cover up at all times, and shies away from men and relationships.  The contrasts at times were just too much and didn’t add to the story, it just made it weirder.

To Sum It All Up!

          Overall this was a really quick sexy read.  I loved the sexual chemistry between the Prince and Lex and it was cute to watch that grow into something more.  I liked the fact that the story switched point of views so we get a fuller picture of the plot and it made it easier to get to know both characters well.  There was such great descriptions of the locations and backgrounds so as a reader you get a real sense of what is going on all around the characters.  There were some pretty hot scenes throughout the book, but I do wish there were more sex scenes between the two main characters.  There was some great foreplay scenes and some other scenes that didn’t involve them at all but for an erotica I would’ve liked to have seen more actual sex.  Also, I liked Lex’s sense of humor and her little quirks because it made the plot light hearted and fun to read.  I do wish some points of the book were a little less ridiculous and exaggerated because it would’ve made the story more grounded realistic without them.  If you’re looking for a fun easy read that has a lot of sex in it then this is the story for you!