This was sweeter than I anticipated. With the pointed mention of handcuffs in the plot summary I expected a much darker tale. What I got was more "we live in different worlds, how can it possibly work?" I enjoyed the fact that in this novel the role of successful/powerful business person belongs to the heroine. I also enjoyed the fact that the hero is a cop AND construction worker...double dose of blue collar! ( )

I am really glad I picked this one up after the recs I got the other day! The recent releases for erotic romance doesn't seem to hit the sweet spot for me but this one did and I loved how the love scenes had an emotional connection that linked to the tension and romance. I really feel that this factor is missing in a lot of erotic romances. It was also good to see that the heroine was older than the hero but although she wasn't experienced as much in her previous relationship but was much more assured mentally and emotionally while in contrast Hunter was younger but opened her eyes on her sexuality. But he was much more guarded on his emotions and I loved on how they slowly broke each other barriers down. This is a real gem of a read! ( )

LOVED IT!

VERY HOT!

This was one awesome read. Two very realistic, likable, great characters who get to know each other, do the nasty and unwillingly fall for each other - GREAT!
It might be that it touched me especially because I could identify with Lacey a lot and thought her such a great character, never over the top, never too good to be true, just right somehow. And Hunter, OMG, that is one wonderful Hero...

Will go and check out the other books by this author. ( )

Man, this book deserves a much bigger audience. It's wonderfully written. Aside from being smoking hot, all the conflict here is driven by character development and it's real and very poignant. I completely understood why Lacey thought a young, hot guy like Hunter would never be interested in her long term. Just like I completely understood why Hunter thought he could never be good enough for Lacey. They're both trying to be realistic, and that means they're aware the odds are stacked against them. I found the tension really strong as a result, because as Hunter and Lacey grow closer as a couple their fears sharpen. They're both thinking, "When will this end? How much longer do I have? Should I end things now to save myself some pain?"

The thing that impressed me most about LIBERATING LACEY is how gracefully she handled the young hot guy/rich older woman dynamic. Part of Hunter's appeal IS that he's got a smoking hot body and a rough blue-collar job. Part of Lacey's appeal IS her wealth, her impeccable taste and comfortable lifestyle. Calhoun doesn't reduce either Lacey or Hunter to a stereotype, but neither does she pretend these aspects of their character are irrelevant. Hunter likes ALL of Lacey, really appreciates her, and her wealth is a piece of that. Just like Lacey likes ALL of Hunter, and his sexual charisma is a piece of that. Calhoun paints the whole picture and she made a scenario that could be very tawdry feel sincere and really sweet. I almost said wholesome, but that might not be the right compliment to give an erotic romance full of really hot sex.

And Lacey's character is just wonderful. I found her believable when she was having sex in a parking lot and I found her believable when she was negotiating a deal with a potential client. That is no small feat. The way she draws Hunter closer is really touching, and reminded me a lot of someone trying to adopt a stray dog that had been abused by a previous owner. She's gentle and welcoming and never puts pressure on him. And Hunter deserves it.

Anyhow, I'd like to see this book take off. Really well-written, character-driven erotica deserves a bit of applause. ( )

I was pleasantly surprised by ow good this story turned out to be. The relationship between Lacey and Hunter was thoughtfully and cleverly crafted, with both tangible chemistry and believable affection. Don't mistake this book for meaningless erotica -- there is a compelling love story here that will tug at your heartstrings even as it makes your blood sizzle. ( )