Review: For Authentication Purposes

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Title: For Authentication Purposes 
Series: Stand Alone
Author: Amber L. Johnson
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pub Date: March 5, 2015
Heat Rating: Super Hot
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 1 Kiss
     
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             Synopsis:

Dawn Sims has made a name for herself writing romantic fiction online. When she's pushed to try her hand at publishing, she thinks she has everything figured out. The only problem? She's never been in a relationship, especially one that has led her to finding The Big O. 


So much for writing what you know.

Warner Green has had Dawn in his sights since she walked into his class in seventh grade. She broke his teenage heart not once, but twice, so seeing her in his night class at the local community college was an unexpected surprise. 

Accidentally reading her bad erotica on her laptop was a blessing from the Smut Gods themselves.

It's clear she has no idea what she's writing about, but Warner does. In fact, he knows so much that he's willing to offer her his services. The deal is simple: teach the good girl from high school everything she needs to know to write from experience. If he gets to live out a fantasy or two that he's been harboring for almost a decade, then there's no harm in that either. 

The lessons turn more heated, and Dawn begins to question where Warner has learned his skills, but he's not ready to talk, until his past comes back to haunt him at the worst possible time. 

It shouldn't matter when it's for authentication purposes only.

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My Thoughts:

They say you should not judge a book by it’s cover; well I believe you should not judge a book by it’s synopsis either.  When I read the synopsis for this book, I thought it was going to be a fun read and I really looked forward to reading it.  Unfortunately, it did not live up to it’s expectations an fell flat.  

This books is being marketed as “humorotica” (when did this become a sub-genre??) and while there were parts that I did chuckle at, it felt like Ms. Johnson tried too hard with some of the jokes.  I would not go some far to say some of the jokes were distasteful, but some left me wondering why she would have her characters say that.  (It kind of reminded me of someone saying out of line when trying to fit in with the popular crowd.)

"Not if you were the last man on Earth and your ball bags held enough man batter to repopulate the planet"

I did not feel the chemistry at all between Dawn and Warner.  I had a hard time believing Dawn or Warner were actually in lust with each other because for a good part of the book they are picking on each other, like they were brother and sister.  While bickering between the hero and heroine is an indicator of sexual tension and can lead to some hot scenes, none of Dawn and Warner’s bickering was hot.

"You shouldn't be too worried.  Your book is pretty awful so I doubt it's something another writer would consider steal-worty"

The pacing for this story felt off as the beginning was very choppy, however the pacing did improve towards the middle of the story.  I also felt that Ms. Johnson was trying to follow a formula for erotica and include all the major elements of an erotica story into this book.  All I can say is as Coco Chanel once said, "Always remove one thing before you leave the house. Less is more.”

While I applaud Ms. Johnson for stepping out and writing in a different genre, I don’t feel this genre is a good fit for her and would pass on any other erotica books she would write.



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