Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun review

Liberating Lacey by Anne Calhoun is 4.25 stars for story. 4.5 for heat. I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I can’t put my finger on why it wasn’t a 5 star read for me, especially after reading so many great reviews. It may be because I just came off reading a book that was so amazing nothing could compare. I may have to read again to make sure that wasn’t my reasoning.

Lacey is a 36 year old, very successful businesswoman who comes from a wealthy family. Divorced for 3 months from her first sexual experience, and a man from her “class” who she had sex once a week in missionary position, Lacey is ready for a “hookup”. She picks up 28 year old Hunter, a beat cop, in a bar, and has her first real hookup. Right there in the parking lot! The electricity between them is something you can feel right away. The sex throughout the book is HOT HOT HOT, but that isn’t what makes this great, it was the developing relationship.

Hunter is a player. Never in a serious relationship, he loves his 4-midnight shift as a cop and has no desire to change that. He never stays over with a woman, but from the first night, something keeps pulling him back to Lacey and makes him stay. He immediately knows he is completely outclassed, though she couldn’t care less. Over their 3 month relationship, Lacey’s best friend, and she herself, tries to keep her from having feelings for Hunter, and they try to keep it casual, but as the story progresses, they get more and more emotionally involved.

Between the age difference and the class difference, seemingly self-confident Hunter feels like he can never fit in in her world. She realizes that most men make less than her, and really has no problems with it. She is very confident in who she is and doesn’t need a man to take care of her. I think that was the reason I couldn’t give it 5 stars. Hunter seemed so stoic, hard and confident on the outside, but his insecurity bothered me. He let her take the lead a little too much. I guess I like a little more of a confident, controlling guy in my books.

They had some really beautiful, fun, romantic scenes. I loved the way he called her “beautiful” all the time (really loved that):

“I like how you blush, beautiful”
The look in his eyes was sheer heat and promise. “I’ll sacrifice a little skin to watch you come under me, beautiful”

And I really liked his conversation with his dad when discussing their relationship: “Last time I checked, women didn’t come with expiration dates.” His dad was cool!

Though there was a lot of hot sex, and I loved how they discussed and acted out fantasies (the bad cop scene was super hot!) there was still a lot of class in this book. It was well written. Despite the age difference between the characters, this was not a “cougar” book at all. It was way more about the class difference than the age difference.

Another reason for my lack of a 5 star rating may be the end. It was a bit abrupt. Again, I just came off reading another amazing Kristen Ashley book who gives the most satisfying epilogues ever, so maybe that’s why, but this book needed an epilogue.

One caveat–make sure you have your man, or some toys around! (Don’t have toys? Check out Ana’s Attic Erotic Playroom)