Spin-off Saturdays: On Saturdays, I will review a series that is a spin-off series. It is recommended that you read the original series first in order to get the most out of the spin-off series. Here is this week’s offering:
TheDirty Sweet Duet is a spin-off of the Dirty Duet
SERIESous’ Top Picks: Favourite Author
Series: Dirty Games, Dirty Universe
This is a spinoff of the Dirty Duet Series.
Author: Laurelin Paige
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Hot (Kink: mild)
Point of View: First Person, Alternating (#1) & Single (#2)
Publication Date: February 2019 – March 2019
Source & Format: Own–eBook
WARNING: If you have not finished the original series, this review may have spoilers!
My Expectations?
We get the tiniest taste of what could be between these two in Dirty Filthy Rich Love but it was enough to have me craving more. I love a good forbidden romance and Laurelin Paige is a master at the trope (see First Touch or Rivalry for examples) so I was excited to see what would happen next with these two!
How Does It Compare To The Original?
This is perhaps the lightest duet of the Dirty Universe. What I mean by that is the kink (which is so tame that I feel bad almost calling it a ‘kink’) is so minuscule and really doesn’t impact the story all that much. I look back at Dirty Filthy Rich Men and everything is so dark and twisted compared to the romance here.
This story is about Dylan learning to love again and willing to take a risk on something he thinks society won’t accept. And for Audrey, it’s about finding herself and asserting her wants and desires for life. They share an incredible passion together but is there anything more to the relationship? It was fun trying to watch them figure it out.
Anything I Didn’t Like?
Their time together in Sweet Liar felt extremely rushed–probably because it literally takes place within a week or two. And because of that, I didn’t see these deeper connection besides incredible sex together. There were little inklings of it for sure but not enough to convince me that Dylan would be pining for her in the months to come.
That connection is fostered more in the sequel but some of it happens behind the scenes or is summed up with “she was at my place for the next two weeks, talking and watching tv, etc”. I just needed a little more.
Reading Order for the Dirty Universe:
There is a full reading order on Paige’s website to guide you but you can definitely read each series on its own and in any order if one is not to your tastes.
If you want to read the books though in chronological order of events though, I would almost suggest:
- Dirty Filthy Rich Boys
- Dirty Sexy Bastard
- Dirty Filthy Rich Men & Dirty Sexy Player nearly simultaneously
- Dirty Filthy Rich Love
- Sweet Liar (once Audrey is introduced in Rich Love, you could start this one)
- Dirty Sexy Games
- Sweet Fate
Series Rating: 4/5
Sweet Liar 4/5 | Sweet Fate 4/5
Both a super quick reads if you enjoy solid writing and a romance that oozes sexual chemistry from the start!
Read if You Like: forbidden love, older guys/younger girls
Avoid if You: dislike lots of sexy times
- Forbidden by Lauren Smith (Her British Stepbrother Series #1)
- Beautiful Secret by Christina Lauren (Beautiful Bastard Series #4)
- Dirty English by Ilsa Madden-Mills (English Series #1)
Synopsis for Sweet Liar (from Goodreads):
British ad exec Dylan Locke isn’t looking for love. He isn’t looking for fate. He’s definitely not looking for Audrey Lind. She’s pretty, far too young, and overly romantic–in short, exhausting.
But when the girl, young enough to be his daughter, literally lands in his lap and asks for his expertise, he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t interested. In her body, in her innocence, in her philosophy.
In the kind of kismet that starts with kisses.
But Audrey isn’t looking for love either–she’s looking for lessons, and she’s certain Dylan knows everything she needs to learn.
If he agrees to play the teacher can he keep his heart?
Of course he can.
Then again, he might be lying.
