Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Publish America
Hero: Alex Bo Cadence
Heroine: Sara Loomis
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: October 15, 2001
Started On: January 16, 2011
Finished On: January 17, 2011

Bodacious by Sharon Ervin is a title that I come across a lot during my various book trolling sessions on Amazon romance discussion forum. All reviewers have commented upon the fact that this story is unlike most romances and has the ability to draw the reader in from the first page itself. And I do have to agree with other reviewers on these aspects, yes, the story has a unique way about it and it does draw the reader in from the first chapter itself.

31 year old Alex Bo Cadence or Bo as he is known through most of the story is a man who suddenly one day turned up in a remote mountainous area and made a home for himself preferring to live in the most primitive fashion possible by foregoing all luxuries of the modern world. 3 years on, Bo doesn’t speak to anyone except for communication via grunts and his disreputable looks as in the huge beard that covers his whole face and his long and messy hair keeps others at bay and some even label Bo to be part human and part something else. Bo’s character remains a mystery throughout the story until towards the very end which makes this story a unique one based on that fact alone.

26 year old Sara Loomis, an only child is a successful news reporter who has resigned herself to being one of those women who are not at all successful in having an enjoyable sex life. Labeled as a frigid, Sara doesn’t even want any man to notice her since the only two sexual relationships that she had been involved in had turned into unmitigated disasters in the end.

On her way to a new job and a new life, Sara is kidnapped when she is stumbles into a convenience store robbery by a group of half-wit hillbillies from the surrounding mountainous area. Sara barely manages to escape the clutches of the lecherous man who kidnaps her only to be left with a man who her captors fear more than anything else in the forest. But as she gets to know the silent man with whom she shares 12 days of her life amidst her attempts to escape her growing feelings towards Bo which almost always ends her up in trouble, Sara finds herself inexplicably drawn to Bo as a slow awakening of her dormant senses begin with gusto.

And when life as she knows it comes calling, Sara is torn between choosing life with all the luxuries she has been accustomed to and choosing to live with the love of her life as a recluse for the rest of her life. However Bo doesn’t give her any chance to make a decision as he is the one to leave her behind only to turn up again to claim the woman he loves more than life itself.

I liked:

1. As I said during the start of this review, this certainly has been a unique romance such that there are no verbal interactions between the hero and heroine until the very end of the story. But rather it is Sara who babbles along, talking a mile a minute while a silent Bo grunts every now and then in response to her conversations. It is through other means; facial expressions and body language that these two really talk, taking the reader on a journey of discovery along with them which is one of the best parts of the book.
2. Sara Loomis. She is a heroine who knows what she wants and sticks with obtaining what it is she wants regardless of the obstacles standing in front of her. Though she makes one stupid decision after the other in her attempts to flee Bo and his brand of magic which works like a charm on her, Sara is a plucky heroine who I loved from the beginning.
3. Bo. It is his gentle and giving nature that made him so very appealing. And of course his so very appealing hot bod coupled with his dark gaze is enough to make any red-blooded woman swoon. I loved me some Bo so very much and wouldn’t mind a mountain man of my own to take home. ^_^
4. The dough kneading scene. Oh my! *fans self*
5. I liked how the author brought about the subtle changes in Sara and the journey of sensual awakening that takes place which doesn’t suddenly come up and punch the reader in the face; but rather based on her past experiences and her aversion to having any sort of relationship with a man the road she takes is a subtle but nevertheless an enjoyable one for the reader.

I disliked:

I loved 3/4 of this story so very much. But suddenly from the moment that Bo leaves Sara to let her head back to life as she knows it, the story suddenly took a turn which I couldn’t seem to like much. Yes, there is a happily ever after for the two but I didn’t feel that there was much need for the endless retelling of what took place between Bo and Sara on the mountains, nor the need for what took place during the time they spent apart. Though that wouldn’t put me off from reading any other book by Ms. Ervin, I just felt that a lot of unnecessary scenes which never really contributed towards making the story were included towards the ending which plummeted my levels of enjoyment with the whole book.

Favorite Quotes

Adding the buttermilk, she stirred the thick dough slowly with the spoon, trying to collect the bits and pieces that clung to the edges of the bowl.
Bo’s hands came from both sides of her. The front of his body pressed close against her back and his breath pulsed warm on her neck. He took the dough into his hands, kneading it, picking up the errant pieces and working them into a cohesive ball. Sara stood very still. Her face became hot. She found his closeness intimidating, and at the same time, exhilarating.
Bo put the dough down, placed his hands over hers, guided them into the mixture, then massaged both hands and dough.
There was something sensual about his large warm hands over hers, kneading the cool, malleable mixture. She didn’t know why his nearness had such a stimulating effect. Her hands trembled beneath his. Her face burned. Her breath came in gulps and her heart pounded.

Sara stood paralyzed, her eyes locked on the man. She had intended to fling her arms around him, to hold him and comfort him and praise him for his courage. Instead, she stood stunned, staring. The powerful man who had emerged from the water was a stranger. She retreated a step, confused, frightened.
His hair and beard were plastered back revealing a high forehead, full dark eyebrows and a strong chin. The wet clothing clung to him, outlining the swells and crevices of a strapping body, broad shoulders, muscular biceps.

He remained poised over her for several moments before she felt him withdrawing. He attempted to disengage himself, to step over and lie beside her, but she clung to him and sobbed. “Don’t leave me. You’re perfect. Beautiful.” She felt confused, overwhelmed with a mix of sorrow and joy.
“I didn’t know … How did you know how to bring me to this?” She wept quietly. She had lost herself. Eventually her terror diminished and she grew calmer.
“Is this the way it always is for you?” She opened her eyes, frightened of the answer, and stared into his face. His dark eyes were glassy. Almost imperceptively, he shook his head.
“No?” She was alarmed. “But this is the way it’s supposed to be?”
His face reflected a kind of wonder. Mutely he allowed a slight smile and nodded.
She again tightened her arms around his neck and pulled him over on top of her.
“I love you.” She was shocked by her feelings and her words. “Bo, I do love you. You are wonderful .. and beautiful. And you make me ..” her voice broke, “you make me wonderful and beautiful.”

Recommended for:

1. Those who are tired of reading the same old story over and over again. This one’s certainly different.
2. Contemporary romance lovers.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble