Review of Laid Bare (Brown Family #1) by Lauren Dane

Laid Bare is the first book in the Brown Family series.

Ten years ago, Erin Brown and Todd Keenan had a steamy few months together where Todd began to let his desires loose, but his unwillingness to admit to those desires makes Erin walk away.

Now, Todd is moving from police work into private security and Erin has left the rocker lifestyle behind to run a quiet cafe adjoining her brother's tattoo parlor. Both have been hurt, Erin with an unspeakable tragedy that left her the shell of the woman she once was.

When they meet again, sparks instantly fly. Todd now knows what he wants and isn't afraid to explore. Erin wants to feel alive again. As the desire between them burns white-hot, Todd's best friend Ben winds up in their bed. All three are happier than they've been in a long time, and Erin does finally feel alive.

Then the tragedy from her past skates right back into the present.

Contains Dominant/submissive relationships that might offend some readers.

I read this book once before without reviewing it and decided to pick the series back up, but then I couldn't figure out where I'd left off, so I decided to just start over. I enjoyed it more the second time through and gave it a higher rating.

I think the strengths of this book are its description of relationship dynamics and setting. I could feel the push and pull between the characters stronger than in some other romance books I've read recently, including with the more minor characters. The dynamics were clear even if they remained undefined.

The setting was also very strong, and not just because I live in the region. I'm not familiar with the specific areas where the book took place, so the only advantage I had was knowing the landscape and weather. I could picture the cafe, Todd's house, and Erin's condo with ease. Other locations were given enough of an anchor that I could immerse myself without a deep description. I also liked that the setting wasn't just dropped down. It arrived layer upon layer until I had a good picture that I could carry throughout the novel.

Dialog was the weakest link in the book. Some of it was stilted and disjointed while other places had overly cheesy lines. If the dialog had been stronger, I would have given the book a higher rating.

Erin was a strong woman broken by tragedy, but not nearly as broken as she thinks. She judges herself on her weakness and refuses to give herself allowances. She pushes herself to live normally, which is a good thing, but treats her fears reasonably in a way to help her be comfortable but not crippled. Her skills as a rocker are described as significant, and she's still down-to-earth. A relatable but enviable character that made for interesting reading.

After seeing Todd so angry with himself for having desires at the beginning, seeing him comfortable with them later was satisfying. He was dominant, but not so much so that he tried to crush Erin. She was still strong, and she'd still tell him when he was being an ass and when to back the hell off, which pleased him. His dominance enriched their relationship but didn't saturate it. I thought better of Todd every time he supported Erin instead of taking charge, and then he did take charge at the times she'd like it. Their open and easy relationship that exists outside of most people's definition of "normal" was a delight to read.

Then entered Ben. His pull into the relationship was teased long before it happened, so it didn't come out of nowhere. My surprise came when they so easily settled into a committed relationship without defining it. Despite romance blossoming between the macho ex-cops, I don't know that Todd ever defined his sexuality. Ben did, but not Todd. Ben wasn't as well-developed as Erin or Todd, and he narrated little, but I liked him almost as much as Todd. I think I would have liked him more if I'd understood him better.

I'm glad I took this second dive into the Brown Family.

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