Afternoon Delight by Anne Calhoun

Sarah McCall, food truck co-owner and recent Manhattan transplant, savors each moment of her new job—whether it’s refining the truck's menu, learning the city, or spending afternoons in bed with the hot paramedic who's fast becoming her favorite customer.

Tim Cannon spends his days sprinting from one emergency to the next. He eats like he works—at top speed—somewhere along the line he lost his ability to enjoy life's simple pleasures. Hooking up with Sarah is just another way to cope with the stress of his job, until their afternoon trysts coax Tim into enjoying everything he's avoided. Can Tim learn to balance his job saving lives with the everyday delights that make life worth living? If anyone can teach him, it’s Sarah.

Type: Erotica, Novella
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 3 out of 5
Cover: meh not sure what that has to do with the book

Amazon | All Romance | Goodreads

Well. I liked it. *nods* I did. Afternoon Delight was a quickie read with a hefty does of steam as paramedic Tim stumbles across a food truck and it's captivating cook one afternoon and the two immediately hit it off and start a...competition of sorts.



There were some really fab bits to the story. Sarah and Tim were both great people and just likable. Easy to be around, responsible and a nice paring. They're both competitive and like a challenge and both struggle with living life to the fullest when nothing is a guarantee--they've lost people they love or seen lives fall apart and it's affected them both in a profound way. Tim seeking instant gratification, no commitments and never slowing down trying to outrun his fears. And Sarah doing the exact opposite and savoring every single moment. Seeing everything and getting the most out of it all. Flavor. Sensation. Everything.

There was some scoring chemistry and these two...could send the sheets up in flames. It was hot and steamy and utterly delicious no matter if she was in control. If it was fast and furious slammed up against the bedroom door or achingly show and lazy. They had no probs in that department. It's was all the little bits after getting all nekkid and sweaty that gave them some fits. Neither really knew what to do with the other when they weren't competing sexually--they had little challenges for each other like no self loving until they saw each other next--and things could get hella awkward when they were trying to figure it all out. It was an interesting switch to see happen.

I really liked the set up as well with it being in the heart of NYC. Getting to see the vibrancy and real life bits as she worked to get her food truck up and running and he went on emergency calls as a paramedic. It had a vibrancy to it that was fabulous.

"I'm glad this wasn't out of your way," she said. She took the pen from him and slotted it into the little stand, then stroked the top of his hand with the edge of her pinkie finger.

Message received. "Want to come over?"

"So I can see your ceiling?"

He blinked. "Uh..."

She laughed, loudly enough to start the tellers right down the row. "Your face," she said. "There aren't many lines I haven't heard. Yes, I'd like to come over. I'd like that very much."

But...it wasn't a perfect read for me because of two things. The first...that they moved WAY too fast for me. Jumping into bed and a dangerous situation--going home with someone you don't know--near instantaneously. Like known each other 15 minutes broken up into a couple encounters. Gah. It brought out the mom in me that was totally freaking about how easily she went back to his place with no safety line in place. That...is how you end up in pieces scattered about because there are some crazy ass people out there. *deep breath* yes. She made me want to lecture her just a bit. On the bright side. They did use condoms. Hallelujah!

The second issue I had was that I felt out of sync with the story for most of it. Just not quite in line with the timing of things. Moments where I'd really have to think on what they were saying to figure out that they'd gone back and were thinking about a previous conversations and working things out in their heads. It took me a while to catch back up and go oh that's what he's talking about. Or dialogue between them where they'd be going back and forth and I'd get totally lost because of a topic change that was just too abrupt.

So, while Afternoon Delight didn't completely sweep me away I did think it was still an entertaining read. It's one if you're looking for quick and steamy with a little bit of heart mixed in it would be a good pick for an afternoon in.

Have you read Calhoun? How was it?
Do you ever have the mama urge to lecture a character?

What was the last hot and heavy full out erotica you read?

More Calhoun on herding cats!

Review-- Jaded (Walker Ford #2)

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