Katie has loved her brother's best friend, Ryder, for as long as she can remember. Attempting to push herself to do something about her attraction to him, she decides to name Ryder as a New Year's Resolution... and has continued to do so for the past three years. Something always causes her to freeze up at the last minute. However, when she learns that Ryder's moving halfway across the world to Dubai in less than a week, Katie knows that time is running out.

In Katie's mind, Ryder has always seen her as his friend's sweet little sister, and compared to all the other beautiful girls he's dated in the past, she thinks she doesn't stand a chance. But desperate times call for desperate measures, so when she learns that he's a little kinky, she's willing to do what it takes to make him hers.

Unbelievably, this is the first time I've ever read a book by Susanna Carr. But I'm so pleased that I've finally done so. The Year of Living Shamelessly is a wild tale of scorching romance, quick action and laugh-out-loud dialogue. The sexual tension between Katie and Ryder is molten, and when they finally get together, it's nothing less than a nuclear meltdown. It was hilarious to be carried along on Katie's journey as she tries various fetish wear, clothing and come-hither behavior to get Ryder right where she wants him, which is in her bed. Ryder may be a dominant man, but his willpower turns to mush when confronted with the woman he's loved for many years but has been too afraid of spoiling her sweet innocence. He's proof positive that even Alpha males are vulnerable to rejection and his deep emotions completely grabbed my heart, vice-grip style. I laughed, I cried like a child, and I was aroused. This book is hot and will definitely be placed on my keeper shelf, with honors.

Reviewed by: Bella