REVIEW: Give It Up by Lori Foster

Give It Up is composed of three previously released novellas by Lori Foster.

The first novella is He Sees You When You’re Sleeping. This one is about Booker Dean, who has feelings for his neighbor, Frances, even though he’s technically in a relationship.

I had mixed feelings about this one. On one hand I did like Booker and Frances together, but on the other their relationship felt very rushed. I also wasn’t crazy about the fact that Booker tried to make a move on Frances while he was still in a relationship with Judith, even if he was planning on ending it.

The second novella is Some Like It Hot. This one features Dr. Cary Rupert, who is friends with Axel and Booker. Cary is attracted to Nora, who is a nurse at Axel’s practice. I enjoyed this one a little more than when He Sees You When You’re Sleeping. Despite constantly turning Cary down, he keeps going to Axel’s office to see her. They got to know each other, more than Booker and Frances did. It didn’t feel quite as rushed as the first novella, but it did feel like there was room to develop the relationship more.

The third novella, which is the longest one in the book, is Playing Doctor. This is Dr. Axel Dean and Libby’s story. Libby is the niece of the chief of staff but when Axel met her, she was working at her uncle’s party, so he thought she just an employee. When he gets her alone and realizes she’s a virgin, he pushes her away, but he can’t stop thinking about her.

Even when he realizes who she is, that doesn’t deter Axel from chasing Libby. I liked that for someone who proclaimed he was selfish, he put his wants aside to take care of Libby when she was sick.

Libby nodded, but one thought filled her mind: for a self-proclaimed selfish pig, he was more giving and caring than anyone she’d ever met.

He also was willing to confront her uncle, even if it meant losing his job.

The three novellas are all interconnected, so they work well together. Some Like and Hot and He Sees You When You’re Sleeping both felt a little too rushed for my liking. Playing Doctor was my favorite, mainly because the relationship between Axel and Libby felt more defined and less rushed than the other two.

If you’re looking for a collection of quick stories and you enjoy steamy novellas, Give It Up may be for you.

Book Info:

Publication: November 24, 2015 | Zebra | Dean Brothers & Friend #1-3

Some Like It Hot

Family practitioner Cary Rupert wants Nora Chilton so badly he can barely keep a hold of his stethoscope. Now he’s out to prove that when it comes to loving her forever, he’s just what the doctor ordered…

Playing Doctor

Dr. Axel Dean likes his women with sensual moxie, not virginal innocence. But when Libby Preston won’t take no for an answer, Axel is more than willing to administer the cure…

He Sees You When You’re Sleeping

What Booker Dean wants for Christmas isn’t under the tree, it’s right next door. Frances Kennedy is everything Booker desires…and the gift he has planned for her involves a lot of delicious unwrapping…