Misbehaving by Tiffany Reisz

Misbehaving (2014) (novella) (Harlequin)

Tiffany Reisz

Grade: A

Genre: contemporary romance / erotica

Sex scenes: HOT - no one writes sex quite like Tiffany Reisz

Source: NetGalley

Beatriz is a translator by day and a sex blogger by night. That’s right: she gets paid to have orgasms. A last-minute plea from her editor has Beatriz agreeing to submit a 1,000 word book review just as she heads off for her foster sister’s wedding. There’s just one problem: the sex-position manual that she’s chosen means that she needs a partner for her orgasms.

Ben is more than willing to take up the job. Five years ago, he  turned down graduation-night sex with Bea and he’s regretted it ever since. Also attending the wedding stag, he won’t be making the same mistake twice. As the pair work through THE MANUAL, will they be able to remember that all this incredible sex is purely for Bea’s work, or will their old feelings be reawakened?

I love everything that Tiffany Reisz writes, and Misbehaving was no exception. From the pun in the title (Beatriz’s column is called Miss Bea Haven and uses bees in her rating system), to Bea’s easygoing loveability and the perfectness of Bea and Ben as a couple, this was an amazing read. With positions like 'The Butterfly', 'The Anvil'. 'Figure Eight' and 'Coital Alignment', you can only laugh with them as the pair fumble their way through this pivotal period of their lives.

You’ve got Ms Reisz’s trademark funny with her trademark sexy and as much as I love the world of the Original Sinners, it’s great to see Ms Reisz try her hand at more mainstream contemporary. The wedding setting reminded me of the first few chapters of Waking up Married, though in contrast, Misbehaving allows us to invest in other characters beyond our hero and heroine. Five years apart has enabled Bea and Ben to be the best people they can be for each other and it’s been a great change to see the hero as the one who has been pining away for five years at the opportunity he turned down.

I love the concept and it’s so quintessentially-Tiffany-esque, it’s brilliant. Like Nora of The Original Sinners, Bea is utterly confident with her own sexuality and sense of self; she’s the best friend you can always count on and if she weren’t a sex blogger, she would make a great snarky agony aunt. I would pay serious money to read a novel (or even a short story) featuring Nora and Bea in the same space. Nora and Bea together (given that they’re both sexually flexible) would be hilarious – they’re both so dominating that I have no idea who would take charge in bed. My heart might just explode from the awesomeness.

This was the first of Ms Reisz's five (!) releases of 2014 in her what she has termed her 'Year of Sin' and a great indicator of what's to come (no pun intended). A great read to slake your thirst as you hunger for The Saint - to be released on May 27th.

Image courtesy of NetGalley