Sex & Skateboards by Ashley Bartlett

Sex & Skateboards by Ashley Bartlett

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book was not exactly what I expected - a lot more interesting and fun than expected.

Not sure what else to say.

An immature skater-loving woman of 26 moves to SoCal from NoCal (this is important *nods* because of the words used, like Alden keeps saying 'Hella' which is, apparently, a quick marker for indicating that she isn't from SoCal; specifically the part of No(rthern)Cal(ifornia) that Alden is from is San Francisco (or an hour out from there). The book is somewhat sketchy on some of the details. Like, why Alden is suddenly down there helping her friend Olie (Olivia) open a restaurant - maybe it was stated and it flew over my head (I did notice people kept slipping in and out of my ability to comprehend them (as in, there's this Lauren woman - she's Olie's sister and always seems to be hugging, touching, or otherwise being super close to Alden, but they are not lovers or together and don't wish to be - she is meet in passing, the second time she turns up, I had to think a second to remember who she was - that is what I mean by people entering and exiting my ability to remember them).

So, Alden is this 26 year old who doesn't want to grow up and likes to skateboard. At the same time she somehow or another got the skill set to be a head chef at a restaurant. Alden is described by others and by herself as being one of those kinds of women that others lust over and go out of the way to 'make time with'. Alden doesn't chase women, they chase her. Apparently because she looks like a 12 year old boy and women love that. Or something. Personally I've never been 'into' 12 year old boys, but whatever.

A 23 year old woman named Weston has caught Alden's eye, though. And they kind of fall into some kind of undefined relationship (which actually ends up being a point of contention later on, which I liked because I'd noticed how 'loose' everything seemed to be, and was vaguely curious if I'd missed some steps along the way, but I hadn't - there were/are 'issues' that kept them from taking those steps, which, as noted, ended up being a point of contention/conflict).

I'm not exactly sure what Weston's job might be - I know she makes some money as a photographer, but she also apparently has some connection to a surf-shop. I think. At least there was a joke along the way that people normally pay her $20 (a lesson or an hour, I missed that part) for surf lessons. No matter, Weston exists and may or may not have more than one job and may or may not have inherited some money. It's not exactly nailed down, but you don't always know everything about everyone so that kind of actually works here since Alden kind of just slide into a relationship, loose, undefined, relationship.

This is one of those books in that 'Matinee' imprint, which, based more on the covers than anything else, seems to be or have been (I've the idea that the imprint is no more) a more erotic version of Bold Strokes Books (or something like 'BSB, after dark'). I mention because that's both one of the reasons I was somewhat reluctant to try this book, and I mention because I was vaguely curious where the sex was hiding until finally at 49% or so Alden and Wes began a longish period where they couldn't keep their hands off each other (I don't mean an extended scene, the actual sexually explicit scenes tended to be short, there just seemed to keep reoccurring at unexpected moments (there's one quite interesting scene in which Wes is showing Alden her photos in a gallery - I'm expecting some pictures to be looked at, I got that . . . I also got, before they even got off the stairs, a rather graphic groping session that was intensified by being where people walk and . . . with sounds that at least one person was in fact getting closer)).

So - romance. Sex. Sand everywhere. Some skating, surfing, a kid. Characters grapping with the idea of whether or not they actually want to grow up or not. As noted, I liked the book more than I expected to. I keep fluctuating between rating this something close to 4.5 or closer to 4.75. I'll have to think about it. Not sure I really want to mark this, on Goodreads, 5 stars (and placing on 4.75 shelf). I'll put it on 4.5 for now.

On a side note - tongue piercings and nipple rings are fun. Or - interesting to read a story where a character actually has those piercings/rings instead of just having that be a, either 'strange', or 'interesting' side character.

Rating: 4.55

May 10 2017



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