Reconstructing Meredith by Lauren Gallagher

The Pagan & The Pen Book Reviews

Title: Reconstructing Meredith
Author: Lauren Gallagher 

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance/ BDSM

Length: 231 pgs.
Reviewed by: Violet

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 5

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Score:

                             

The Book:

“Scott, I need your help.”

Five words from a woman he hasn’t seen in five years, and Scott Moore’s world is thrown off its axis. Ex-girlfriend Meredith has resurfaced with a past full of horrific abuse at the hands of a man who called himself a Dom, and she has the scars to prove it. Now she needs Scott’s help to reclaim her sexuality and put the past behind her.

Scott is more than willing to help, but he has no idea the toll it will take on him, not to mention his other polyamourous relationships. What’s more, while Scott and Meredith face down her demons, their own past won’t be forgotten. Neither will Scott’s feelings for Meredith…

The Review:

Having read Light Switch last time around, I had to dive right into Reconstructing Meredith if only to see what happened with Scott, Kristin, and Matt.  When reading the second book in a series, I think most people expect to read something with the same tone and a similar plot.  With Reconstructing Meredith, Gallagher blows that completely out of the water.

The incredible writing with the fast pace and layered plot was definitely there.  The riveting characters, who become real to the reader from the first page are there.  However, the tone of the novel is completely different.  Where Light Switch was a deep, emotionally-entangling read, it’s completely light-hearted when compared to the heavy issues Gallagher takes on. Now that she’s addressed many of the popular misconceptions about some BDSM relationships, she’s taking on what happens when an abusive person hides behind the “Dom” label.

This wasn’t an easy read.  Parts were hard to take, in large part because Scott is so affected by the abuse his ex-girlfriend, Meredith, suffered at the hands of her ex-husband.  His big heart—how many guys can carry on loving relationships with two or three women in a way that none of them are jealous of the other—leads him down the long road of helping Meredith recover sexually from the years of imprisonment and abuse she endured. That’s the hard part.  He has to help her heal, and of course he still loves her. The processes are long and messy, heart breaking and hope building. It’s always been difficult for me to read about abuse of any kind, and this was no different. Scott helped me get through it as much as he helped Meredith. That really says something about the talent and skill of an author when they can do that.

In a lot of ways, this is more the second part of Light Switch and less a sequel.  Threads left dangling are all neatly wrapped up at the end of Reconstructing Meredith. Scott and Meredith really worked for their happily-ever-after, and I was happy to see that Kristin and Matt got one, too. I’m not sure which two books I’m going to have to kick out of my top ten list in order to fit these in, but they’re up near the top.

Pagan Elements: N/A

Light Switch by Lauren Gallagher

                                  

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Light Switch
Author: Lauren Gallagher 

Author Site

Buy Link

Amazon
Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Erotic/Contemporary/Romance

Length: 324 pgs.
Reviewed by: Violet

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 5

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating:

                                                                                                

About The Book:

After far too much lackluster sex with her now-ex-boyfriend, Kristen Locke isn’t just ready to try something new - she’s ready to try everything. And as luck would have it, two of her good friends are more than willing to introduce her to the kinkier side of life.

Experienced dominant Scott Moore wants to bring out the submissive in her.

Neighbor and voyeur Matt Sommers quite literally sees the exhibitionist in her.

Little by little, they open up a whole new world to her, and Kristen’s about to learn that love can be found in the most unusual places…

The Review:

Light Switch is a slow introduction into the BDSM lifestyle. With one smoking hot scene after another, Gallagher takes us on an incredible journey through Kristin as she discovers the delights of BDSM with one of her close friends, Scott, and the delights of exhibitionism with her other close friend, Matt.  As she learns about what it means to be a submissive from Scott, Kristin learns about what it means to be loved and cherished.  Matt is a neighbor who starts out as a spectator and later becomes part of the action.

One of the many things I loved about this novel was the way Gallagher went out of her way to portray the intimacy that springs up between a Dom and a sub in a healthy relationship. Nobody can hand over that much control to another person without profound emotional repercussions.  Light Switch, which is a pun I’ll leave you to figure out when you read this novel—because you’re really missing out if you don’t—is erotic, fun, and romantic. It’s a novel that will have you reading it again and again and again. These are characters that stay with you, and this is a story that resonates on the deepest levels of your soul.

As Kristin’s relationship with Scott, which comprises the bulk of the action, develops, her relationship with Matt blossoms. As a reader, I was torn because both Kristin and Matt make it clear early on that they aren’t the kind of people who could be happy in a polyamorous relationship. I didn’t want her to end things with Scott because he helped her grow so much as a person, and I didn’t want to see her lose Matt because he seemed to be another piece of her soul.  I’m still not sure I like the ending, though it is a happily-for-now for everyone, because I think both Kristin and Matt compromised rather than lose each other. Perhaps this will all be ironed out in Reconstructing Meredith, which is next on my Must Read list and features Scott.

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Until It’s Over by Lauren Gallagher

THE PAGAN & THE PEN BOOK REVIEWS

Title: Until It’s Over
Author: Lauren Gallagher

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Contemporary/Erotic/Romance

Length: 269 pgs.
Reviewed by: Violet Harper

RATINGS FOR:

Cover: 5

Presentation: 5

Editing: 5

Story: 5

Writing Ability: 5

Overall Card Rating:

About The Book:

Just as dressage trainer Dani Blake decides the best kind of relationship is no relationship at all, along comes cunning linguist Connor Graham, and he's the perfect Mr. Right Now. He's newly single, not looking for any type of attachment, and smoking hot in bed.

Best of all, he’s moving out of state in a few months, so there’s no pressure for – and no chance of – a long-term relationship. Even if Dani hadn’t already made the mistake of moving to another state for a man in the all too recent past, a mistake she’s not keen on repeating, she’s stuck in Seattle because she can’t afford to move her beloved horses again.

So she and Connor will just take advantage of the time they have and enjoy it until it’s over. It’s just enough time to have some fun, and not nearly enough time to fall in love with him.

The Review:

I knew before I sat down to read this that I would love the story. Lauren Gallagher is gifted at crafting tangible characters and putting them into stories that tug at our heartstrings.  Dani is a woman reeling from a breakup. Connor is also recently single, and he’s planning to move far away in a few months to pursue his doctorate.  It’s just a summer fling—at least until they fall in love.

In Gallagher’s talented hands, the story and the characters come alive.  Nothing surprising happens, yet the curve balls still hit the reader square in the heart.  It’s an emotional rollercoaster, messy and complicated like real life, only this one has a happy ending.

Lauren Gallagher is officially one of my favorite authors.  I love stories that grab me from the first word and make me fall in love with both of the characters. Gallagher captivated me from the first word and kept me through the last.  I didn’t want the story to end.  I can’t wait to read her next book.

Pagan Elements: N/A

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

The Next Move by Lauren Gallagher

The Pagan & The Pen Reviews

Title: The Next Move

Author: Lauren Gallagher 

Author Site

Buy Link

Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Length: 238 pgs.

Other: (light) BDSM, M/F

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About The Book: After a quiet evening of chess and wine turns into a sizzling hot night in the bedroom, Christian Bailey and Katrina Morgan think they’ve done irreparable damage to their longstanding friendship. When they sit down to talk things over, though, it isn’t long before they’re in bed again. The sexual chemistry is undeniable, but neither wants to risk their friendship with a relationship, so they agree to a casual arrangement as friends with benefits. The rules are simple: No lying, no strings, and nothing more than friends with benefits. 

What they don’t realize is that at least one of those rules may be harder to follow than they thought, and Chris and Kat may very well be putting their friendship in checkmate. 

The Review: Friends make the best lovers. This is a recurring theme in Ms. Gallagher’s novels, but she treats it differently each time, so it’s not repetitious.  There’s nothing worse than reading an author’s second book to find out that only the character’s names are different.

From the first page, The Next Move drew me in. Like a game of chess, Chris and Kat move through their developing relationship going through great lengths to hide their next move. It’s a story that’s been done before, so it ultimately comes down to the writer’s skill. Ms. Gallagher delivers realistic, likeable people whose yearning for one another that they won’t admit out loud creates a tension that carries through the entire novel. They are friends first and lovers second. As I read, that old Gloria Loring/Carl Anderson song, Friends and Lovers, played through my head. Chris and Kat learn that they can be both to each other.

My only criticism is that the story seemed to drag on for too long. I understand that neither of them wanted to admit a deeper emotional involvement because it would violate the terms of their agreement, thus ending their affair. The scenes that hop back and forth from Chris to Kat fall short of furthering the tension in the novel because the reader isn’t allowed to stay with one character long enough to feel their pain. As a reader, I felt short-changed because I was looking forward to feeling that pain with Kat, and then I wanted to experience her joy when things finally worked out. Later, when Chris ends the affair and we see only Kat’s side, this happens.

Overall, I liked the novel and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good read. I liked the way the metaphor of chess was carried through the entire novel. The sex was hot and erotic, more so as Kat and Chris admitted their feelings for one another to themselves, heightening the emotionality of the scenes. I’m looking forward to reading more from Lauren Gallagher.

Pagan Elements: None

Cover (Rated 1-10): 8-The chess pieces tumbling from the embracing couple catch my eye and make me want to read the book. The come-hither expression on Kat’s face is inviting, but I would have liked to have seen Chris’s eyes.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & The Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.

Between Brothers by Lauren Gallagher

PAGAN & PEN REVIEW

Title:  Between Brothers
Author:  Lauren Gallagher

Author Site

Buy Link
Publisher: Carnal Passions

Genre: Contemporary/Erotica

Length: 252
Other:  Light BDSM, M/F, Menage, M/F/M 

Pagan & Pagan Elements: No

Reviewed by: Violet Harper

About The Book:

There is no way people would go to the lengths they do to get sex if it was really this bad. That’s what Marisa is thinking after yet another frustrating night.  She doesn’t want a relationship.  She doesn’t want love, at least not right now. What she does want is some of the hot sex that everyone else raves about…and she doesn’t know where to start.  Enter Darren Knight, Marisa’s best friend and longtime crush.  Offering a casual sexual apprenticeship, he helps Marisa gain the confidence to ask for and get what she wants.  A sizzling new world opens up for her, including BDSM, stripteases – and Darren’s sexy brother, Eric. 

But can she take her newfound confidence to the next level and live out her ultimate fantasy?

The Review:  

This novel makes no apologies for not being a romance while still managing to be incredibly hot.  Lauren Gallagher manages to hit every bad sexual experience a woman’s ever had in a way that makes the reader laugh instead of cry.  I appreciated the honesty of Marisa’s experience.  She wasn’t looking for love, and Ms. Gallagher didn’t try to force the reader to buy into the idea of instant true love.  In the back of my mind, I kept thinking this would turn into a love story.  Marisa has been friends with both Darren and Eric for years.  They are friends, and they become lovers.  There is a basis for a real relationship.  But Ms. Gallagher doesn’t rush them to that conclusion.  The reader is left with the impression that it could happen sometime down the road, but that’s not what this story is about. 

This is the story of a woman’s journey of self-discovery and sexual awakening.  It’s sensual and erotic.  Ms. Gallagher’s characters are witty and real.  She writes with a wicked sense of humor.  Marisa doesn’t have stars in her eyes.  She wants a decent lover.  As she takes control of herself and her sexuality, she finds a few good lovers along the way.  The sex scenes, which make up the majority of the narrative, are hot without being repetitive.  They effectively narrate Marisa’s personal and emotional growth. 

It’s a stripped-down, honest account of a woman finding, embracing, and celebrating who she is, something any Pagan can respect. I highly recommend this novel.  It’s something I would gladly read again.  I look forward to reading more from this author.

Pagan Elements: None

Cover (Rated 1-10): 3—The cover looks the same as dozens of other erotica novels.  The woman is a little too skinny, the men have some weird lines/color effects, and everyone is essentially faceless.  I like faces, all shapes and colors.  Ignore the cover; buy the book.

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Disclaimer: Due to FTC regulations, any book reviewed on this site was sent for free by the author to The Pagan & the Pen. We are not paid to give reviews by Author or Publisher. Once review has been made, said books are deleted.