Is It Hot In Here Or What?

LOCKED BOX
by Eve Dangerfield
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Erotica
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Publication Date: March 7th 2017
Source: Purchased
Rating: ★★★1/2
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Julia Bennett isn’t having a great day. Funding for her video game is low, her day job is sucking her dry, and to cap it all off she’s locked in a police station with the very handsome, extremely married guy she’s been avoiding at all costs.

Max Connor isn’t having a great year. He’s getting divorced, his best friend is squatting in his house, and his inappropriate crush on the IT girl is getting way out of hand. And that was before he locked the two of them in an evidence room.

Surrounded by three decades’ worth of drugs, guns, and floppy disks, Max and Julia are forced to confront the heat that lies between them with dangerous, funny, and occasionally toe-curlingly sexy results.

Holy sexy times! Now, that was one heck of a steamy read! Eve Dangerfield came to my attention when her name popped around multiple times in several author Facebook groups. I had to know what all the hype was all about, and knowing that she was an Aussie author just about sealed the deal for me, because everybody knows Aussie authors have mad writing skills. I read Locked Box in one sitting because it was almost impossible to put down.

Locked Box was an office romance between Julia, an IT consultant, and Max, a police officer, and wow! This has got to be one of the best office romances I've ever read. These two are forced to spend a couple of nights together when they accidentally get locked in the evidence room on a Friday night. I went into this book excepting it to be a horny-fest, which it was, but I was also pleasantly surprised at how much time the author takes to build up the foundation of an emotional connection between Max and Julia. Sure, everything happens within these 2 days, but with how well developed the romance was, it didn't feel rushed at all. Max and Julia talk, and get to really know each other during their time in the evidence room. Of course, they also go at it like bunnies, which let me tell you, *phew*, had me fanning my blushing face. Dangerfield clearly knows her way around sex scenes, and these were just off-the-charts hot. The dirty talk, the attention that Max shows Julia, and all that tension between the two, made for some seriously intense sexy scenes. The chemistry between the two was palpable from the very first scene, and over the course of the book, it only amplified. This is definitely the book for those of you who like your romances very very steamy!

We also get to know the characters and their background pretty intimately throughout Locked Box. I really liked Julia's' character. She's had a bit of rough upbringing, but has made a life for herself and her sister. I loved that she was so nerdy, and was trying to get her video game sold. She was a great girl, hardworking, loyal and kind. Max, was a decent character too, but he could be a knob-head. I mean he was sexy as hell, but he irritated me a couple of times during the book. Mostly, I just couldn't handle his indecisiveness, and I hated how he kept pushing Julia away for the dumbest of reasons. I do think he did a good job groveling, but I also felt like Julia shouldn't have forgiven him so easily. Once he finally gave in to the idea of a relationship with her, he was great though. I only wished we had seen that side of his a little earlier.

For me, what made this book so readable was the writing style - I swear Aussie authors!! - and the crazy hot sexual tension. Even the hero was a bit annoying, the book as a whole was really addicting for me. I read it for the smut, and good smut it was!

Have you read books by this author? What are some of your favorite Aussie romances?
Let me know in the comments below!