Review: Lush by Lauren Dane

USA Today bestselling author Lauren Dane delivers a second serving of sexy in her new Delicious novel, in which taste and temptation make up a sweet recipe… 

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…

Series readers will pick up almost directly at the end of Tart.  That is not to say you cannot follow the progress of Mary and Damien's relationship without having read Tart or any of The Brown Siblings books.  Lush is an erotic romance you really need to read -- it's that good! 

Mary Whaley isn't looking for love or romance despite the fact that her best girlfriends have all found both.  She has several businesses to run; she's ultimately very happy in her life.  She meets rocker Damien Hurley at Gillian's engagement party, and sparks fly.  Mary's attraction isn't one-sided either.  Damien has fallen hard and fast for her.  

One of the main aspects I loved about Lush is the fact that Damien is pursuing Mary.  He's not making grandiose gestures, he's not making false promises to simply get into her pants -- he genuinely wants a relationship with her, and it surprises everyone, including himself.    I stated on Twitter that Damien Hurley might be as awesome as Brody Brown (hero of Ms. Dane's Coming Undone), but it's a close call.

The Big Misunderstanding is a bit predictable, but it didn't overshadow my serious love for Lush.  This has been my favorite of the Delicious series.  Focused strictly on Mary and Damien's oh-so-hot chemistry, Lush is a great way to end the series on a high note.   

(A very special thank you to Penguin, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Lush.)