Excerpt + Review: "Otterly Scorched" by Tara Sivec

I'm not sure words can express how much I love Tara Sivec, both as a writer and as a human being. Not only is Tara exactly as funny, snarky, and awesome as the characters in her books (don't just take my word for it, go join her Facebook reader group and see for yourself), she has written the perfect story to suit whatever mood you're in. Need a good laugh? She has a book for that! Looking for an ugly cry? Well, there's a book for that too. When all else fails, my go-to advice for a friend who's having a bad day is to pour a glass of wine and read one of Tara's books. Whenever Tara releases a new book, it instantly becomes a holiday in my house, and you'd better believe it will be a takeout for dinner kind of night. There's no way I'm going to stop reading long enough to do something as pesky and time-consuming as cook!

*Ahem* That's probably enough of a love fest for one day, so I'll turn now to the real reason for this post: the release of Tara Sivec's latest romantic comedy, "Otterly Scorched." I "otterly" adored (yes, I went there!) this hysterically funny, cute, sweet story with its lovable, quirky characters and hint of mystery. It was exactly the book I needed to read right now to help me cope with the insanity of the real world, and I could not recommend it more highly.

"Otterly Scorched" is a complete standalone, though it is set in the world of Tara's earlier rom-coms "The Simple Life" and "Just My Type" and is also related to her earlier romantic suspense novel "Branded." It is not necessary to have read any of those books to enjoy this one, but IMO they are every bit as good as "Otterly Scorched" and I recommend them too.

The main characters of "Otterly Scorched," Dax and Harley, were a tremendous amount of fun both individually and as a couple, and I loved their banter as they went from quasi-enemies to lovers. I particularly enjoyed Dax's efforts to take care of Harley and ease her burdens as she attempted to run her family's pet detective business while looking after her irresponsible father and brother. Not only did Dax cook multi-course meals for Harley, he gradually transformed her formerly barren house into a true home, complete with curtains and a bar cart. Dax's domestic side perfectly complemented Harley's tough-girl charm, and it was very easy for me to cheer them on to their HEA.

The story's secondary characters were also amazing and added a lot of depth and humor to the narrative. I particularly loved Harley's dad, Charlie, and her brother, Davidson. It wasn't difficult to understand why Harley would find them frustrating to deal with on a daily basis, but they were awfully funny to read about. Thanks to Charlie, I will never look at squirrels (or really any small animal) the same way again. ;-)

Bottom line: What are you waiting for? Go one-click "Otterly Scorched" today and prepare to laugh until you cry. I cannot wait to see what Tara Sivec has in store for us next!

*ARC provided by the author. All opinions expressed are my own.
 

About "Otterly Scorched"

It’s been a lot of years and another lifetime since Dax Trevino was a playboy detective for the Franklin Police Department. He’s been through hell and back, and now he just wants to be left alone, so he can cuddle his otters.

When two of his babies are kidnapped in the middle of the night, and Claws and Effect Pet Detectives are called to the rescue, quiet, broody Dax never expects to be tackled and handcuffed by the only woman he ever regretted being a douchebag to all those years ago.

Harley Blake has spent her entire life taking care of her accident-prone father with a fondness for dead animals, and her forty-year-old brother who refuses to grow up. The last thing she needs is another complication in her life, and Detective Douchebag is at the top of the list.

Dax might not be a cop anymore, and he might have outgrown his one-and-done player status, but that doesn’t mean she’s going to get burned a second time and fall for his charms. The infuriating man already branded a mark on her heart years ago, making sure she’d never forget him. Besides, she has a case to solve for the guy, and this is just business.

But the sarcasm starts flying, there are a gaggle of adorable otters who need to be cuddled, a Bandit Von Trash Panda who just wants to play poker, pot brownies, and squirrels dressed for a wedding... at a funeral. Things are heating up—and not just from the small tree fire after the grenade went off—and this man is suddenly simplifying her life instead of making it worse.

Harley knows she won’t escape this time without being Otterly Scorched.

Read an Excerpt from "Otterly Scorched"

“A gentleman should be polite and courteous on a date, while being firm and manly by listening to what his date would like to eat and then ordering it for her,” Dax informs me, holding his pointer finger up to the waiter while he grabs his water glass and chugs half of it before setting it back down on the table.

“Why are you talking like this?”

“Like what?”

“Like... you’re Google, and I just asked you how to go on a first date. In 1952.”

Dax quickly picks his menu back up and looks down at it.

“Chicken parm sounds good.”

A few more previously dead brain cells join the smart living one, and I tell the waiter to give us a couple minutes. The confused young man walks away, and I lean forward to rest my elbows on the table, take the menu out of Dax’s hands, and set it down on the table off to the side.

“Dax Trevino. Did you google how to go on a date?” I ask softly, never knowing before this moment that my heart could actually feel like it’s melting in my chest.

Dax sighs, leaning forward in his chair to cross his arms and rest them on the table with me until our faces are a few inches apart.

“You’re goddamn right I did.” He nods with conviction, all of the nervousness finally gone from his face now that the truth is out. “Harley, I don’t know what the hell I’m doing here either. I’ve never dated anyone. I’ve never wanted to date anyone, or make them feel special or like a princess on a date. I know you’re not really the princess type, but I want to do this right, and I’m fifteen steps into Twenty-Five Ways to Date Like a Gentleman. I’ve had my car detailed, I’ve taken extra time to properly groom myself, I’m wearing an outfit that gives me confidence, I’m maintaining eye contact, and I’ve prepared a list of topics for us to discuss in case there’s an uncomfortable lull in dinner conversation.”

Dax reaches over, grabs my fingers, and tugs my hand to his mouth, kissing the top of it.

“Now, let me order dinner for you without you stabbing me, and then just sit there like a good girl and let the nice man I paid play the violin right next to our table and make it super awkward while we eat the main course.”

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