The Red Diary by Toni Blake

Title:  The Red Diary
Author:  Toni Blake
Grade: C-
Description from back cover:  Prim and proper Lauren Ash has a secret side no one else sees: she records her sexual fantasties, in intimate detail, in a very personal book meant for her eyes only.  When hired hand Nick Armstrong finds the red diary he's shocked...and aroused.  Never before has he come across anything so private - or so sensual.  And, given the way the Ash family has hurt his, he soon begins to see this as a potent weapon for righting an old wrong.  Wouldn't it serve the haughty Lauren right if he used her own fantasies to seduce her, make her fall in love, and then break her heart?  But there's much more to Lauren than Nick expects, and before he quite realizes it, he's opening himself- and his heart - to her.  Can Nick let go of the past and surrender to Lauren, body and soul? 

Review:  The book opened with a fantasy.  It was relatively tame and satisfyingly short.  Lauren Ash has only had three lovers but everyone in her life believes her to have many.  Her best friend is very sexual and has many sexual experiences and because Lauren spends time with her people think she is similar in her sexual past.  The fantasies were similar all throughout the book. 

Lauren Ash was too insipid in the beginning of the book.  It seemed as if every person in her life completely overrode her constantly.  Her father was a philanderer, the company partner was slimy, her best friend was obnoxious.  She changes throughout the book, for the better, but the change seemed insincere.  I really didn't like her all that much. She was so clueless when it came to Nick it wasn't funny. 

Nick Armstrong was not a hired hand.  He was the owner of a successful painting business and creepy as all get out.  He was by turns petulant and pissy and I wouldn't have had a thing to do with him.  The fact that he kept breaking into Lauren's house to read her private diary freaked me out.  He never explained it or let his admittedly small conscience make him stop.  I understand that he felt Lauren's father had contributed to his family's misfortunes but he didn't let a little thing like having an intimate relationship with someone stop him from going through with a revenge that wasn't all that complete. 

I read the whole thing and finished it.  It felt a lot like a first time writer although I know Toni Blake has been writing and been published since at least 2000.  Lori Foster is quoted as saying "Heart-stopping sensuality."  I'll admit that the fantasies were but the rest of the book was awkward and not particularly well-written.