People sometimes tease me about reading romance. They are stuck in the bodice ripper mindset and think every book is about a virginal woman waiting to be rescued by a man who will then introduce her to the pleasures of his love handle. While the boy-meets-girl theme is typical of romance, and much love handle fun is had by all in many of the books I read, the romance genre is so much more than that. LUSH by Lauren Dane (and the Brown series and Delicious series it is connected to) is a perfect example of contemporary romance at its best.

Mary Whaley is single and loves her life. She runs a successfully catering company and supper club in Bainbridge, Washington. She is surrounded by the love of her family and friends. She is independent, happy, and busy. She thinks a romantic relationship will interfere with her focus on building her business. So when she meets rock star Damien Hurley at her best friend\'s engagement party she seizes the opportunity for a no-strings-attached sexual adventure with a hot, tattooed, rock god who isn\'t looking for forever either.

Damien is attracted to Mary Whaley the minute he spots her in the kitchen working her magic with food. She\'s beautiful, sexy, smart, and fun to talk to. Damien may have a reputation as a rough rocker who has had more than his share of women but he knows that Mary is different. With Mary, settling-down looks more and more appealing. Can Damien convince her that what they have is more than just a fling?

So what about LUSH places it on my list of favorite romances? It goes without saying that I enjoy the development of the romantic relationship, but the powerful friendships and family ties that surround and support Damien and Mary elevate the story. Both characters come from healthy loving families. They are surrounded by family and friends, who are more than willing to argue, interfere, encourage, and rise in defense. I love that the romance adds to an already rich life. So where does the story come from? Some of it comes from the fun in watching Mary and Damien get to know one another as they explore each other\'s worlds. Tension and drama builds as they figure out how to adjust their lives to make room for a new relationship and from the special challenges of dating a rock star.

Book Summary

Mary Whaley has her hands full running a successful catering company and overseeing her supper club. She has everything she ever wanted—or so she thought. When she meets ridiculously hot and very dirty rock star Damien Hurley at her friend’s engagement party, the attraction she feels is overpowering—and she isn’t about to deny herself.

Damien is used to a hard and fast life. He and two of his brothers started a band when they were fresh out of high school—then they hit the big time and stayed there. He’s also a legendary madman on the stage and in the bedroom. But when he meets Mary, something clicks, and the bad boy starts thinking he may have finally found something good.

What begins as a series of fleeting trysts soon gets much more complicated. Damien can’t figure out why Mary doesn’t want more from him. And before long, it’s Damien who wants more from Mary. But it turns out Mary is no stranger to celebrity news, and he’s got a very big job ahead of him: proving that he’s worth more than a one-night stand…