Amber1983's Rec of the Week: 4/30/12

Feisty in Four Inch Heels by MarLea Pie

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7419593/1/Feisty_in_Four_Inch_Heels

Review by Amber1983

Rating: M
Genre: Angst/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: I organize Events for a living; Weddings are a different kind of hell. Try planning a wedding when the brother of the bride is an infuriating, arrogant, breathtaking man, constantly at odds with your opinion…evil in Armani. God help me, I wanted more…

Less than two chapters in, I knew I simply had to choose Feisty in Four Inch Heels as my debut review for Indie Fic Pimp. MarLea Pie’s well-written tale of fun, fashion and the filthiest-talking Edward you’ll ever encounter has captured my heart, and lead to me consuming all 14 posted chapters in mere days.

Sassy and sexy, event planner Bella gets more than she bargains for when she stumbles upon the stunning Edward playing piano alone in the dark at one of her regular venues. After a rocky first meeting the pair experience one of the hottest slow dances I’ve ever read:

The piece ended but we remained wrapped in each other. His fingers at my back had splayed his pinky almost, but not quite teasing, a smidge too low, for a bit too friendly contact. Don't get me wrong – I wasn't complaining, especially since I was close to outright fondling the hair at the nape of his neck. 

Our breaths mingled. I could almost feel the air around us steaming; it was intense with him so close. 

I felt possessed by him. 

His beauty, his harshness. 

His voice, his fingers. 

His movement, his laughter. 

His scent, the scent of his breath, the breath that came from his lips, the lips I wanted to taste. 

And Taste. 

 And Taste. 

And TASTE. 

I willed myself to concentrate. The look in his eyes reflected mine. 

 Lust and Want. 

My gaze fell to his mouth and my lips parted, the tip of my tongue barely escaping. I couldn't look directly at him, I would pounce for sure. 

Things get complicated when Bella discovers that Edward is in fact the brother of her biggest client, and apparently off limits. The push and pull of their UST is truly captivating; in every scene you know that they are only moments away from giving in to their desires, and their verbal sparring is merely foreplay.

MarLea’s writing style flows beautifully, making FiFIH truly a pleasure to read, whilst her vivid imagery has you feeling every single moment alongside her characters:

It was like I had never been kissed; kissing before this was nothing, menial, not even a blip on the radar of what he was giving me now. They shouldn't even have been considered kisses. What he was doing to me now, this was better than any caress I had ever read, watched or dreamed of. He was achingly delicious. My fingers threaded through his soft sexy hair and I angled my head slightly, thrusting my tongue deeper into his warm mouth, hungry for him, hungry for more. More, please let me have more… 

I love that this story is set in Canada, and the best part about this is that Edward speaks French - and boy does he speak it! Dirty talking Edward is my kryptonite and juicy morsels like this had me truly tingling:

"I want to fuck your mouth. I want to watch your beautiful lips wrap around my cock. And when I cum - because you're going to make me cum Isabella - I want you to swallow." 

MarLea clearly knows her stilettos from her Mary Janes and it's so refreshing to find a Bella who loves fashion and looking great and doesn't only want to slop around in her Converse. I adore the way MarLea artfully runs this theme throughout, and uses it to complement the plot rather than detract from it:

"His nearness made every inch of me fill with warmth; the things his voice could do to my body alone had me trembling in my BCBG Booties."
 

There is another scene that may just be the sexiest moment I've ever witnessed in a shoe store.

It's very easy to fall in love with these two. Edward is sexy and kind with just the right amount of arrogance, whilst Bella is strong, funny and not afraid of going after what she wants. Interesting turns of phrase like "my heart liquefied in my chest" and "Did she break me, even before she could fix me?" make this story really stand out.

Their interactions will certainly have your heart racing, both from the emotion and the incredible sex scenes; some of the best citrus I've seen in a long while:

Then his mouth enveloped my right peak, nipping it between his teeth as his fingers pinched and lengthened the other and it was there, the spark, except it wasn't a spark anymore, it was a flame, it was a fire, and it was growing, overtaking me, spreading through my body from deep deep deep inside my belly, to my legs, to my chest, to the tips of my fingers, and the tips of my toes, and I rode him, overtook him and I felt him watch me let go… 

"Yes, baby, cum for me, I want it, I want you…" he growled, then his teeth scraped at the sensitive skin of my neck right below the lobe of my ear and grazed down until he hit the spot where my neck met my shoulder and he bit, and I couldn't feel pain, only outstanding pleasure, and it was enough to break skin, enough to show me he owned me, and I was there, over the peak, soaring, exploding, like never before. 

The supporting characters in FiFIH definitely shouldn't be overlooked either, from Rosalie and Emmett's hilarious meddling to Seth as Bella's adorable brother, and not forgetting the creepy Royce, they are all fantastically drawn.

MarLea Pie has exceptional writing ability and a great storyline. The heartfail of the prologue has left me anxious for the future of her characters but I have every faith in her abilities to reach a brilliant conclusion. From the lush lemons to the language to the Louboutins, this is a roller coaster ride you won't want to miss.

One Shot of the Week: 4/24/12

Wherever You Go by Messy Bar & theswandive

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7149666/1/Wherever_You_Go

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Drama
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Collaboration with theswandive. Our donation to Fandom Fights Mental Illness. Summary: The old adage is true...you don't know what you've got until it's gone. Rated M for language.

New Fic of the Week: 4/24/12

Hold Me Down by peristew

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7949385/1/Hold_Me_Down

Review by Lemon Charlotte

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Angst
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Not me. That's who this girl is. She is not me. And for the first time, Edward wants someone who is not me. The tequila sits at the bottom of my stomach and begins to grow tentacles. I am tequila brave. 

I'm not ready to sit down and play nice, so I make a b-line to the bathroom. 

Standing in front of a sink, staring at my reflection in the dull mirror, I touch my lips, remembering the feel of his—the lips I know so well. It had been too long since I last kissed Edward, since before he last kissed me. 

This is familiar territory, this…game… I guess you could call it a game. We play it often, and I always win. Tonight he is putting up a fight. He wants me to believe it's over. 

It can't be over. 

A thickness builds in my throat, and I swallow it down. No tears, please. The thickness builds again, and I spit into the sink and lock my jaw to keep my tears from escaping. 

Pull it together,Bella.

What if Bella is the bad guy?

Hold Me Down opens with Bella rushing to meet her friends for their weekly Thursday night meet-up. Three guys and her, friends since first grade, only this week Edward is bringing along a date. She’s nervous, and edgy and immediately there’s tension in the air. This night is not going to end well because this is no tale of unrequited love, or unresolved attraction. Edward and Bella were already lovers, until some time in the recent past, when, it seems, Edward could bear Bella’s messed up games no longer and cut her loose. This particular night in the bar, it’s hard to see why Edward would want to be with her at all. She’s selfish and at times cruel, treating both Edward and his new girl with scant respect. Clearly, she doesn’t care for herself much either. Yet she’s in agony, albeit of her own making, and it’s impossible not to feel her pain. As for Edward, he’s determined to make things work with his new girl. But Bella just won’t leave him be. Peristew had me gripped from the start.

The story of Bella and Edward’s long friendship unfolds, with revealing glimpses from their first meeting at age seven and throughout their school years. It becomes clear that for Edward at least, she has always been more than a friend:

By the time we were freshmen in high school, Edward and I had explored a little more than each other's mouths. 

"Are you my girlfriend?" he asked. 

We were lying on his bed and had just finished rounding second base. His hand was up my shirt, his palm flat and warm against my stomach. The spot just beneath my earlobe was still tingling from the way he had suckled on it—pulling at the delicate skin with his lips, bringing the rosy blood up, just to the surface. 

"Oh, um… we're friends." I shrugged and sat up, scooting to the edge of his bed. 

"So, you do this with Jasper and Jake?" The expression on his face was disbelieving, with his brows furrowed and his mouth slightly agape, as he joined me at the edge 

"Ew, no. Edward… it's fun, isn't it?" I hopped to my feet and stood in front of him, wrapping my arms around his warm neck. 

His evergreen eyes narrowed and did a full left-to-right sweep. 

"Okay …you're not my girlfriend, but you're not just my friend?" 

That was a subject that came up more and more. What was this? What were we? 

I didn't want to know....Leaning in, I sucked on his bottom lip, before slipping my tongue inside his mouth. Kissing was easier than talking. It was easier than telling him things he didn't want to hear.

 Bella has never been able to give more. Edward has been so sweet, so kind, so decent, it seems, patiently fulfilling the role of fuck buddy for too long. Don’t get me wrong, this Bella is strong, feisty, loyal and game. But she has hurt and used our boy. It’s not his story, but Peristew lingers over his clear anguish.

He shook his head as he moved toward me, his steps slow and prowl-like. He reached out, his fingers hooking into the belt loops of my jeans, and he pulled me to him. He had gotten so tall, just in the past few months. He towered over me, forcing me to stare up at him. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips once, twice, then one more time before capturing my lips in this near-desperate way. 

I backed off a little, but he held me tighter, his forehead pressing against mine. "Don't pull away from me." He was nearly begging. Kissing me again, he urged me to keep going. "No one's here," he murmured, curling his fingers around my neck, pulling me closer. "Don't pull away…" He pressed his body into me until there was no space between us. Placing his hands at my sides, he gripped me tightly, like he was holding me in place, like if he let go, I would run away. He may have been on to something.

Between these glimpses of the past and the present Bella has had a change of heart. We don’t know why. What we do know is that Bella is desperate, and will stop at nothing to get Edward back, flirting recklessly in front of him and all of their friends in a sad and frightening bid for his attention. I am not sure yet, why she wants this. I am not even sure that I want this for Edward. Bella is damaged, their relationship dysfunctional. We don’t know how much pain Edward’s endured at this stage. Is Bella likely to change for the better? I don’t know. And this is what makes this story intriguing at just five chapters in. I love angst. I think this story will have it in spades and on both sides. Fasten your seatbelts, we could be in for a bumpy ride.

Banner by JaimeArkin

Completed Fic of the Week: 4/24/12

Summerboy by Little Miss Mionie

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6666188/1/Summerboy 
Review by AnonymouslySufferingFromOCD

Rating: M
 Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Every summer, Edward was Bella's secret escape from wintry Forks. Her worlds collide after "the incident" occurs, and Bella can't hide from the whispers at school saying she deserved what happened. AH, Edward/Bella 

Bella Swan is the typical snarky popular girl at Forks High School. Her and her friends rule the school. After Bella’s mom, Renee, leaves when she is three, she grows up around the kids in her area and knows what her place is, people look up to her and her friends and Bella loves that about her life. Every summer Bella goes to visit Renee in Florida where they vacation at a RV park, and where Bella has a fling with her Summerboy each and every year.

During her junior year, Bella is sexually assaulted by someone who she trusts and she has a hard time moving past it. She only speaks about the incident to a couple of people, her mom, her dad, and, of course, her friends. After her friends share Bella’s story with the entire school she becomes the outcast, most people thinks she got what she deserved due to her blatantly promiscuous ways. That summer she decides confide in Edward and he helps her to forget about what happened to her, at least while she is with him.

The beginning of Bella’s senior year leaves her in an awkward place, she is still upset by what happened to her, and that her friends felt that they should share her life with the rest of the school, but she needs them because she has no one else, she has alienated everyone most of her life. Plus she faces the fact that Florida Bella Swan and Forks Bella Swan’s lives have collided and it may be difficult to find the balance that she needs.

The furious torrent of rain is the soundtrack for my drive to school. I check my make up in my rear-view mirror as I start the engine of my old, faithful Chevy. It looks Bella-Swan-Forks appropriate, I suppose. My Maybelline concealer has done a great job covering up the remnants of the dark corners and large, spindly fingers playing with the thin straps of my white t-shirt that plagued my nightmares. I desperately want to take all of my make up off and go soak up the sun in Florida. 

Edward Cullen is Bella’s Summerboy. He is always there for her and while Bella tries to say that she doesn’t have true feelings for him, deep down Edward knows she loves him as much as he loves her. Relocating to Forks from Florida his senior year, Bella doesn’t give him the warm welcome that Edward expects, instead he learns quickly that the Bella he has grown to love each year in Florida is a completely different person in Forks; or at least she tries to be.

My throat feels dry, and my words stumble over my tongue. Edward waits patiently with an amused expression. As I speak, the amusement slips into concern. 

"I can't deal with this…you…right now," I explain worriedly. "I haven't even dealt with the incident properly – which Charlie keeps reminding me of. He's been hinting that I should see a shrink." 

Edward interrupts me before I can finish. "The nightmares are still as bad as they were on vacation?" 

His question distracts me as memories of waking up in the dark, sweating, to find Edward's strong arms cradling me, infiltrate my mind. 

I nod my head a little, embarrassed by his concern. I don't like showing my weakness like that – and he had been privy to all of it. I continue to talk for fear if I don't get it out now, I never will. 

"You moving here out of the blue just blew me away," I admit slowly. "I don't know what to think. I don't even know who I'm meant to be here anymore. I feel like the same sad girl from last summer." 

Edward looks even more concerned by this. "Bella — " he starts again in a low voice. 

I can hear the pleading tone in my voice. "Can we just pretend that we don't screw around every vacation? That we don't know each other?" 

"Screw around?" Edward's eyes narrow. I think I've hurt him. "Is that what we do?" 

It takes some time for Bella to let Edward tear down her walls. He has to break through the snark and help her work through her issues. Bella doesn’t make it easy that is for sure. On top of it all they have to deal with typical high school drama, plus overcome what has happened to Bella. Of course, this is Edward and Bella so you can’t help but root for them through it all. If you like some drama and you don’t mind high school fics, I think you will really enjoy this one.

WIP of the Week: 4/24/12

Letting Down The Walls 

by Edwards My Obsession 1971

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7554892/1/Letting_Down_the_Walls
Review by Agrutle

Rating: M
Genre: Hurt/Comfort/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Bella is a transfer to U Dub from Phoenix with severe self-esteem issues from a chronic disease. Edward is a med school student seeing patents at his Dad's practice. When they meet, will Bella let Edward in her life or is she too damaged for love?

Bella leaves Phoenix to give her mom and new stepdad a chance at some space. She moves to Seattle to start her junior year at U Dub. Bella is plagued with psoriasis and as a result she has spent the last seven years being somewhat of a recluse. Going to school and reading, that’s her life. She’s hoping that she can start over and have a new life. Who she has for a roommate, though, isn’t what she was expecting.

"HI! I'm Alice! We are going to be roommates and the best of friends! I can see it! What's your name? Where are you from? What's your major? Oh, do you like to shop? I hope so because we need an outfit for the Back to School party next weekend! Do you have a boyfriend? Mine's named Jasper; well Jazz for short and you will meet him later. He lives on the sixth floor. I love your hair! I'm a fashion design major and I'm starting my junior year. I'm from the outskirts of Seattle but my parents thought my brother's and I needed to learn to live independently so this is my first year in the dorms. Oh and you will meet my brothers later too. Well one anyhow. Emmet is here at U Dub and he rooms with Jazz and his girlfriend, Rosalie will be rooming with us but she won't be here till tomorrow. My other brother lives off campus and his name is…" Alice rambled on and on and on without taking a breath. 

"Uh, wow." I cut her off before she passed out from not breathing. "I'm Isabella Swan from Arizona but please call me Bella. I'm glad to meet you, Alice. Uh, I'm a literary major," I have been placed with the Energizer Bunny on crack. 

"I am sorry to be such a spaz but this is sooo exciting, don't ya think?" Alice said as she grabbed my arm and spun me around in a full circle and shrieked. "I know you, Rose and I will have so much fun together! Which bed do you want?" 

Random much? Hello? Oh shut up Bella, be nice. She is just trying to be nice to you. Take a deep breath. Where is my Xanax? I may need one ASAP. Now I'm having an inner monologue. I've officially lost it. 

She doesn’t know how to handle people that are nice to her. What she dealt with before were people that didn’t understand what her disease was so they made fun and acted as if they would be able to catch it. Alice, Rose, Jasper and Emmett are they opposite. They are warm, welcoming and they want her to be a part of their group, their family. Bella just can’t believe that these beautiful ‘normal’ people want to be her friend and accept her no matter what. Coincidentally her new doctor is in a practice with Alice and Emmett's dad, Carlisle. Edward is a med student and is shadowing a doctor at Seattle Memorial's Dermatology Institute. He has worked his ass off the last five years, not only taking regular classes but summer courses as well. He wants to help people like his dad does. His first day he is given a list of patients and their files to get acquainted with and Isabella Swan is one of those patients.

 "Isabella? My name is Dr. Edward Cullen, but please call me Edward," I said as I stuck out my hand to her.

I looked up to her face and was met with the deepest, chocolate brown eyes I had ever seen. Soulful and intelligent but I could sense pain as well in their depths. Before me sat a beautiful young woman, with soft features and a head full of chestnut hair that curled softly around her heart-shaped face. What I saw was simply a natural beauty with a horrible disease.

"Uh, yeah, but I like to uh, be called Bella," came a voice so quiet that I had to strain my ears to make out all the words as she raised her hand to meet mine and I enclosed her tiny hand in my large one.

When we touched I was immediately hit with a jolt that felt like a lightening strike had gone straight through my body. What the hell was that? I need to remember to make sure to wear my anti-static tennis shoes next time. This tile must have caused the shock. I felt the need to say something in apology since her breathing had gone slightly erratic and she already seemed to be trying to calm herself from the nerves of the visit. I was a little thrown myself so I just went into professional mode.

Instant attraction for both parties is there. Edward can’t get Bella out of his head and not in a doctor way. He wants more with her. Little does he know that Bella wants more from him as well but doesn’t see herself worthy of his appreciation or attention. She believes she is the only one that is attracted but that is soon put to rest when Edward shows up when the group is out at a club. After talking and dancing, Alice asks Edward to take Bella home because Jasper’s truck is cramped. Edward jumps at the chance and he takes a leap of faith.

"Bella. I know you're afraid of letting down your guard. Hell, I am too. But I really do like you. Inside and out. I want to get to know you better and I know that you may not be ready for that step so I am willing to take things as slowly as you want. If friendship is all we can have then so be it." 

I watched as the tears began to fall freely down her face as she stared into my eyes. She was silent for what seemed like forever and I was afraid that I had really scared her away with my bluntness. She wiped the tears as much as she could and took a deep breath before she made her reply as she shook her head. 

"Edward. I have no idea what is happening here. I mean, I've never had "this" with a guy at all. I wouldn't know what to do! But I feel this draw to you and I haven't been able to get you off my mind since we met. I'm scared of letting someone in. It's taken a lot for me to let Alice and Rose into my life and I've barely been around Jasper and Emmet. So I don't know what to do. My heart says yes but my mind is all over the place." 

"Then we will learn this together, Bella." 

Bella's breath caught and she shook her head again. 

"Why would you want me? I'm not whole. You've seen my skin and you know that it can get worse in just a matter of days. You're obviously gorgeous, successful and you need someone that matches you. I'm never going to be that girl. I'll always be an ugly duckling that will never be a swan." 

"Then it will be my mission to show you how wrong you are, Bella. I've seen you, that's true and I want you to know that I don't see the psoriasis at all. I see you for the beautiful, soulful, smart woman that you are," I pleaded. 

She never broke her eyes from mine and I knew this was terribly difficult for her. Please, God. Let her say yes! 

"Alright. I'll try to do this, Edward. You have to be patient with me and let me go if I hold you back," Bella said as more tears trickled down onto her cheeks. 

 "I will be whatever you need, Bella. Thank you for saying yes. Now, let's get you home." 

Bella and Edward begin a relationship that has its normal ups and downs but you also get to see Bella blossom under Edward’s love and attention. Come check out this wonderful story and see the love that Bella and Edward have for each other help Bella accept who she is and what her disease can’t cover up. Leave the author some love while you're there!

One Shot of the Week: 4/16/12

I'm Never Far Behind by duskri123

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6729002/1/Im_Never_Far_Behind

Rating: M
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Characters: Peter & Charlotte

Summary: Sometimes you need to ask. Sometimes you need to beg. Other times you need to fight. Running isn't cowardly when it's saving yourself for something better. Running is just another way to fight. They chose to run. Peter/Char. Side-shot for Someday.Rated M.

New Fic of the Week: 4/16/12

Cooking for Dummies by Nikita2009

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7932246/1/Cooking_for_Dummies

Review by Obsmama

Rating: M
Genre: Humor/Romance
Characters: Edward & Bella

Summary: Chef Edward Masen is a talented yet temperamental up and coming chef. Bella Swan is a fiery culinary reviewer who is determined to get out of the shadows of her famous parents. What happens when their worlds collide? AH, OOC

"Hold the door, please!" I called to the back of the tall man walking down the hallway ahead of me. 

I put my head down and walked quicker, trying to juggle my luggage, a paper bag full of groceries, and a steaming hot to go cup of my favorite coffee. 

Any other time, I would have taken a brief moment to ogle his ass as only a woman who has been without sex for way too long can. What? Men do it, so why can't a woman? And a fine ass it was, not that I noticed, obviously too wrapped up in my own personal circus juggling act. 

When I finally made it to the old service elevator behind said owner of nice ass, I heard the tell tale ding that signaled the closing of the doors, my plea obviously ignored. My eyes met the defiant, dark green gaze of the only occupant who winked at me and watched the metal doors slide closed in my face with a smirk on his face. 

Seriously? 

The motherfucker winked at me. 

Motherfucker indeed. This is how we’re introduced to one of the best new stories I have read recently. It’s a story full of snark and food. It’s a story about passion, passion for what you do in life, passion for a stranger that is constantly in your way, passion for the taste and texture of a great piece of fish. I love, love a great, hard workingward, and I think most would agree that chefs do not have an easy job. Its full of heat, long hours, and nasty cleanup, but what Nikita2009 does is bring the grittiness of the kitchen and really turns up the tension. When Edward Masen talks about food, I want to taste what he’s tasting. He’s crass and has balls of steel. He takes no shit and loves what he does. Even if his staff can drive him out of his mind.

"TYLER!"

His head snapped up, only his fearful dark eyes visible above the stainless steel shelving.

"Yes, Chef?"

"In what fucking universe would you willingly send out a choice cut steak that I slaved over the hot fucking stove with a GIANT FUCKING PUBE stuck to the top of it? Is this Pubes R' Us?"

"No, Chef."

"When I say finish a plate off with a garnish, I don't mean your bloody trouser forest, you fucking idiot. Now re-fire me a completely new plate." I slammed it down in front of him and was satisfied when he jumped at the sound. "I want to see you display your considerable culinary prowess in five fucking minutes or you're toast. Got it?"

"Yes, Chef."

"Good. Now try to not blow up my fucking kitchen while I poison myself with nicotine for five fucking minutes." I grabbed my smokes out of my office and angrily pushed past my line cooks, who included a smirking tiny brunette who shared eyes the same shade as mine and considerably less of a temper.

Then we have Bella full of fire and a Seattle food critic who feels like she’s missing something in life. When she’s assigned Masen’s on 5th as her next review, she might just find that something. One bad review, a few nasty emails and I see fireworks headed our way. The humor is fantastic, the characters are well throughout and endearing (what? I think a foul-mouthed, tatted chef is endearing, sue me). I can’t wait to see the adventure these two go on with love and food at Masen’s on 5th.

"After hearing from several local celebrated food blogs about what a gastronomic epiphany Edward Masen's restaurant "Masen's on 5th" is, I had high hopes about being wowed by something new and different. Unfortunately, the meal wowed me, but not in the positive way one might have expected. For such a renowned and celebrated chef in the community, my high hopes were instantly dashed by the lack of prompt service and basic lack of general cooking techniques. The wait staff was friendly, but the long wait itself was ridiculous. My halibut with lemon butter sauce was nothing to write home about, and the fact I had to ask for it to be cooked twice was, for lack of a better word, underwhelming. If you're going to try something at this restaurant, try the Minestrone, the only shining bit of genius I happened to eat during the evening. In short: In a visit to Masen's on 5th, try the soup, skip the fish." 

Maybe fall in love?