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Sizzling Book Club Pick for September: Double Down by Katie Porter - Win a Copy!

by SB Sarah | by SB Sarah | September 01, 2012 | Saturday at 6:32 am | 67 Comments

The September book club pick is Double Down by Katie Porter. This is a pretty spicy book, so I hope it provides a welcome distraction to the changes in schedule that fall seems to have brought to everyone.

Here's the summary:

As part of the 64th Aggressor Squadron, Major Ryan “Fang” Haverty flies like the enemy to teach Allied pilots how not to die. The glittering excess of the Strip can’t compare to the glowing jet engines of his F-16. But a sexy, redheaded waitress in seamed stockings? Now she gets his blood pumping.

Cassandra Whitman’s good-girl ways haven’t earned any slack from her manager ex-boyfriend, or prevented a bad case of frazzle from holding down two and a half jobs. She sure wouldn’t mind letting the handsome Southern charmer shake up her routine.

Their wild weekend lives up to Sin City’s reputation. Especially when they discover a matched passion for roleplaying. For Cass, it’s an exciting departure from her normal, shy persona. But for Ryan, it triggers memories of a time when his fetish drove away the woman he loved—leaving him reluctant to risk a repeat performance.

Except Cass refuses to settle for ordinary ever again. She’s about to show the man with hair-trigger hands that she’s got a few surprise moves of her own.

This book should make for a great discussion, because while I liked it, Mandi at Smexybooks did not, and there were a few reviews who questioned the realism of the hero's conflict. Other reviews liked all the same things I did. I empathized with the hero more than enough to stick with the book and enjoy it, but I'm really curious to hear what you think!

I also want to know if you consider this book "erotic romance" or "really sexy/explicit contemporary romance." The genre tag comes with expectations - and I thought this was a more explicit contemporary rather than an erotic romance. As a sexy contemporary, it worked tremendously well for me. When I finished it, I may have bounced in my chair a few times with glee. Plus, the second book, Inside Bet, came out 28 August, and that book is also a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, just like Double Down. (If I get you glomming a new series, I apologize in advance.)

This book is only available digitally at present. Curious how to read a digital book? There’s a list of options for software to read ebooks at the ARe site, and of course there’s free apps from Amazon and BN should you wish to try those, too.

The rebate is on now, so if you buy at ARe between now and 15 September, you'll get 50% back in eBook Bucks if you use code SBTBARE at checkout.

The book club chat will be September 24 at 9:00 pm ET, and Katie Porter (who is two people, Lorelie Brown and Carrie Lofty) will join us at 10pm ET. Need a button to add that magic to your calendar? Here, have a button:

But wait, there's yay! Samhain has offered up ten copies to give away!

Standard disclaimers apply. You must be over 18 and wearing something sparkly to win. Void where prohibited. Available internationally, including Antarctica. Do not use while sleeping or operating heavy machinery. Does not include merry go round.

If you'd like to win a copy, leave a comment telling me your favorite spot in Nevada, or the place you'd like to visit most in Nevada if you've never been. No need to limit the whole state to just Vegas, though there's plenty to see there, right? I'll pick ten random winners on Tuesday 4 September and they'll each receive digital copies of the book.

I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun, sexy contemporary romance, and I hope you'll try it out for the book club.

Filed: General Bitching, Smart Bitches Sizzling Book Club

Tagged: sizzling book club, katie porter, erotic romance, contemporary romance

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Ashlandbaby said on 09.01.12 at 06:47 AM • [link]

I’ve never been, but I would love to go to Rhyolite. It’s a ghost town and has the Tom Kelley Bottle House, a house that’s made entirely of liquor bottles. Because the best legacy a man can have is a building that stands testament to one’s drinking and architectural skills.
Taylor Reynolds said on 09.01.12 at 07:10 AM • [link]

I have an affinity for Reno since I grew up in Northern California. It seems more like a real city that happens to have a strip of casinos downtown, rather than a city of casinos. I know Vegas is a real city too, but most people don’t get off The Strip to see anything else.
Suz_Glo said on 09.01.12 at 07:27 AM • [link]

I have never been to Las Vegas so that is high on my list but I would also like to see Carson City. Oh, and nearby Lake Tahoe, too. I have heard that Osceola is a great ghost town to visit, too.
Jen G. said on 09.01.12 at 08:14 AM • [link]

I’ve only been to Vegas, but I’d love to go to Lake Tahoe.
Rebe said on 09.01.12 at 08:19 AM • [link]

The one time I went to Vegas I was a lowly grad student attending a conference with nooooo money, so I didn’t get to do any gambling or see any shows. I’d love to go back and see everything!
Tara Scott said on 09.01.12 at 08:56 AM • [link]

I think it’s kind of a lot like Seven Sexy Sins because it straddles the line between erotic and contemporary romance. The sex definitely propels the romance, but it still feels like a contemporary. Also, I had the same issues as Mandi with it, but ultimately was very glad I stuck with it and was really happy for them. Now I’m about 20% through Inside Bet and I already love it more. I think this is shaping up to be a very fun series.
Maria said on 09.01.12 at 09:20 AM • [link]

I’ve been to Vegas, but I would love to see the Hoover Dam or a ghost town. I also want to catch a Cirque show and maybe a boxing match.
Arbocoja said on 09.01.12 at 09:55 AM • [link]

Area 51!!
cin said on 09.01.12 at 10:39 AM • [link]

I loooove Lake Tahoe, both summer and winter.
Redheadedgirl said on 09.01.12 at 10:59 AM • [link]

On a family vacation back in the day, we stopped in Silver City, NV which had all sorts of touristy schtick going on. My sister, who was about…7? at the time just wanted to go to the gift shop, and our parents threw a nutty and packed us all up in the car and we drove on to Yosemite. I would really like to go back someday and see what we missed.
Lori said on 09.01.12 at 11:00 AM • [link]

I’ve been to Vegas several times and always had fun, but my pick for favorite place in Nevada would be a tie between Lake Tahoe (so beautiful) or Hoover Damn (even more impressive than you’d imagine).
Miss Grumpy said on 09.01.12 at 11:01 AM • [link]

I’m always in for spicy books ;) I’d love to visit Death Valley some day (which is in Nevada, right?). Thanks for the giveaway!
Anastasia said on 09.01.12 at 11:43 AM • [link]

I’m kind of addicted to thrill skiing, so I’d love to go check out Diamond Peak in Nevada (close to Lake Tahoe).
susan said on 09.01.12 at 11:47 AM • [link]

I flew into Las Vegas to drive to Death Valley (it’s in California btw, just over the border), and went through these older towns, like Pahrump and Amargosa. I would love to see a different part of the state.
Lindz said on 09.01.12 at 12:47 PM • [link]

My favorite spot in Las Vegas is Freemont Street, at night and in October. I was there for a friend’s wedding near to Halloween and walking down Freemont at that time was awesome. Vegas goes all out for Halloween!

Though I was forcibly tongue-kissed by a skeezy Elvis… So, go to Freemont Street in October and keep away from any Skeezy Elvii!
jliedl said on 09.01.12 at 12:54 PM • [link]

I’ve only flown over Nevada but it’s on my list of ‘some-days’. I’d love to check out Las Vegas, naturally, but I think I’d enjoy Lake Tahoe a bit more.
Lisa J said on 09.01.12 at 01:03 PM • [link]

I love Las Vegas. Not because I visit there, but because my boss is a resident of Nevada and has a condo there. Our office is in the Midwest, so we he leaves for Las Vegas and is out of my hair I am a happy camper.
Cheryl Mcinnis said on 09.01.12 at 01:12 PM • [link]

I’ve never been to Nevada, but I admit I’d like to say that I’ve been to Vegas at least once in my life :)
Jenny Dolton said on 09.01.12 at 02:19 PM • [link]

I would happily never set foot in Vegas, but I understand Lake Tahoe is absolutely gorgeous… I’d love to backpack in that area.
Elizabeth Gunther said on 09.01.12 at 02:32 PM • [link]

I’ve only been to two places in Nevada: Reno and Lake Tahoe, and since Reno blew, I guess I’d go with Lake Tahoe, although the lake was really really cold.
Bibliophile said on 09.01.12 at 02:45 PM • [link]

I haven’t been all over the state, but I loved the landscapes around and the beauty of Lake Tahoe. However, I would like to explore Las Vegas more than I got to on my single visit there. I was travelling with my parents and we decided to spend the night there before driving on to Utah and my mother was so terrified of going out to the Strip that night that we just stayed in the motel and then moved on at dawn the next morning.
Beth Farkas said on 09.01.12 at 02:56 PM • [link]

I’ve been through northern Nevada on my way to California, but I’ve never been to Vegas yet. Looking forward to reading this book.
Shawny Jean said on 09.01.12 at 04:24 PM • [link]

I was in Vegas this time last year. I’d really like to be there now. Preferrably in a cabana by the private pool at the Vdara Hotel with a blackberry mojito in my hand. I can wear something sparkly if that’s a requirement.
Char said on 09.01.12 at 05:18 PM • [link]

I kid you not! I was just looking at this at Amazon before I decided to check out my daily blogs and came here. I saw this post and figured it was a sign. So I just did some comparative shopping. I bought it and the sequel at Books On Board for $3.69 each.
Sveta said on 09.01.12 at 06:11 PM • [link]

I’ve never been to Vegas, but I think I’d like to visit Casino or Caesar’s Palace. Are there any other signs?

http://sveta-randomblog.blogsp…
SueX. said on 09.01.12 at 07:12 PM • [link]

I’ve always wanted to visit the Hoover Dam. I think that’s in Nevada right? If not, then Lake Tahoe.
Rock climbing Romance Reader said on 09.01.12 at 08:34 PM • [link]

Favorite spot in Nevada is Red Rock Canyon outside of Vegas where I enjoyed some awesome rock climbing quite a few years back.
Diana N said on 09.01.12 at 09:29 PM • [link]

I’d like to visit Lake Tahoe. While Vegas is obviously a well-known destination, I’d be afraid I’d get there and not come back (and not by my own decicion either)! Knowing my luck, I’d get kidnapped and buried in the desert. :P
Turophile said on 09.01.12 at 10:36 PM • [link]

Never been. I hear Vegas is nice.
Puckbuff13 said on 09.01.12 at 10:53 PM • [link]

I’d like to visit Virginia City, Nevada!
Jessica_HookEm said on 09.01.12 at 11:12 PM • [link]

My favorite place in Nevada would have to be my uncle’s house in Las Vegas. It isn’t a fancy house but he and my aunt live there and I rarely get to see them so it’s special for that reason.
RJ said on 09.01.12 at 11:14 PM • [link]

Somewhere I can go ski. I like the idea of skiing on the mountain and then going into the hot valley.
Sycorax said on 09.01.12 at 11:41 PM • [link]

The only two places I’ve heard of are Las Vegas (of course) and Lake Tahoe. Forced to choose, I think I’d go with the latter. Vegas sounds fascinating, but maybe not my scene.
Phaenarete said on 09.02.12 at 01:16 AM • [link]

HELLOOO! How has no one said the Chicken Ranch?! I’d like to go just to say I did, almost to see how the place looks in the light of day (rather than on Dave Atelle’s “Insomniac”). Though I imagine it could probably be disappointing in real life, a lot like a bad strip joint. Truth be told, nothing beats splurging on a Vegas suite with the one you love, seeing a cool show, then holing up with room service and sleeping in all day…
Mikaela Lind said on 09.02.12 at 04:42 AM • [link]

I’ll admit that I know nothing about Nevada, since I live in Sweden. But it would be fun to explore it :).
JennyB said on 09.02.12 at 06:44 AM • [link]

I’ve never been to Vegas and I’d like to go, just to see what all the fuss is about.
Kaetrin said on 09.02.12 at 06:52 AM • [link]

I’d love to see Las Vegas of course, but I admit the thing I’d most like to see is the Hoover Dam.
JenniferH said on 09.02.12 at 09:17 AM • [link]

I have never been to Nevada but, I like hiking and based on descriptions I have read, I would like to visit Tahoe
Amy said on 09.02.12 at 09:21 AM • [link]

I would love to go and just stand in the middle of the desert. I think being in the middle of nowhere is awesome and the mountains and cloud shadows are awesome. And the sky is so pretty….
Slickstacey said on 09.02.12 at 12:32 PM • [link]

So, I really have to comment about Vegas, because I love Vegas. I went there on my honeymoon about 11 years ago. Besides the great shows and over-the-top casinos, I most enjoyed the Star Trek museum. (Yes, I am a geek and proud!) Also, my husband and I hit the jackpot, of a different sort. We were pretty certain that we could not have children, so imagine our surprise one month later when I turned up pregnant. We call our boy “our little souvenir” from Vegas. And so, “what happens in Vegas” does not always stay in Vegas!
Erin L said on 09.02.12 at 01:58 PM • [link]

I love the high desert of northern Nevada. Elko is a fantastic small town that is a good place to stay while exploring the Ruby Mountains. I have had some of the best meals of my life in that area. There is a large Basque population and their food is amazing.
Turtle said on 09.02.12 at 02:13 PM • [link]

I have never been to Nevada, but I would love to see the desert.
Andrea said on 09.02.12 at 03:18 PM • [link]

Uhm, I have to admit that I know nothing about Nevada except that Las Vegas is there. Maybe that can be excused since I am German? But I think if someone paid for a vacation in Nevada (I don’t have the money), I’d like to see more than just Vegas.
Kim in Hawaii said on 09.02.12 at 03:54 PM • [link]

Nellis AFB, of course! They have a Thunderbird Museum with a few familiar faces on the wall - some of my colleagues from my active duty days!
Kristy said on 09.02.12 at 04:28 PM • [link]

Somewhere near Sparks NV is a small town (Maybe Silver City?) and they have a bunch of touristy things there - a mine shaft tour, a fake old west town façade, and a prostitution museum which consists of scantily clad mannequins tipped over on beds. One of these fallen doves is missing an arm because yours truly climbed into the set (through a gate) and tried to reattach it, but only succeeded in breaking the “bed”. (I have a picture around here somewhere…)

Also, Lake Tahoe is beautiful, despite the fact that the Black Plague is still alive and well there, carried by the ticks along the shore. Careful!
The_Book_Queen said on 09.02.12 at 04:50 PM • [link]

Is it sad that I’ve never been to Nevada—and I live right next door? Lol. Wait, tkae that back, I’ve been to Windover, briefly, but since I’m not one for gambling and casinos, I wasn’t too thrilled.

However, I’d like to visit other places in the state—I’ve heard from friends and family of some beautiful places, such as Lake Tahoe. :) Elko is another place I’ve been told I need to see.

One day, Nevada, one day. But not in the middle of the summer *melts*

Enjoy!
TBQ
DreadPirateRachel said on 09.02.12 at 05:29 PM • [link]

Vegas… guh. No thanks. Been there, done that, accidentally got a guy put on the no-fly list; it’s not for me.

I’ve spent more time in Nevada than I really wanted to since my aunt used to live in Henderson, but I have yet to see Red Rock Canyon, and I would really love to see it. It’s a bit weird that I’ve never been, because it is really close to Henderson. My late grandfather was a geologist and he loved going out into the desert to see amazing natural areas like that. Red Rock Canyon was one of his favorites, and I would like to go there to see what enchanted him so much, and maybe to feel close to him again. [/end sappy story]
taurus said on 09.02.12 at 06:39 PM • [link]

I’ve never been to Vegas - would love to see some of the shows.
Amanda Silva said on 09.02.12 at 07:08 PM • [link]

Reno! It’s like Vegas for those that do need to swing on a strip pole for fun, or pay 20% more for the same meal.
Jen said on 09.02.12 at 07:41 PM • [link]

I have never been to Nevada so I don’t have a favorite place but I would love to visit the whole state to find one.
Thememagik said on 09.02.12 at 08:03 PM • [link]

Vegas-the home of sparkles for me(I’m a belly dancer)I’ve always imagined the thrift stores there as being full of rhinestones realistically I know that they are filled with the same unwanted junk as anywhere but maybe some showgirl got tired of her sparkles…
Kaetrin said on 09.02.12 at 08:17 PM • [link]

I just found out I won a copy of this book from another site (yay!) - so please don’t include me in the giveaway. :)
L K said on 09.02.12 at 08:40 PM • [link]

Vegas is good, tacky fun. I’ve never been there when I’ve had a lot of money to spend, so anything more classy there has not yet been experienced by me. I would love to return to Vegas with money I wouldn’t have to feel guilty about spending.

I visited the Hoover Dam in 1997, including the tour that goes underneath part of it, and it was really amazing.
Katie Ann said on 09.02.12 at 09:08 PM • [link]

I’m not a gambler, but I do love snow and mountains (things we don’t have much of in Texas). I’d love to sit and sip hot buttered rum or something in a cabin in Lake Tahoe. :)
Jamarleo said on 09.02.12 at 09:34 PM • [link]

I’d like to go to Vegas, but I’d love to tour regular nieghborhoods around there.. What must it be like to live your everyday life in a place called sin city?
Lenorej said on 09.02.12 at 09:52 PM • [link]

Dammit, I’ve just bought two more books TBR. Barely resisted pre-ordering the third, which also looked very fun! Sometimes being a Smart Bitch is pricey!
henofthewoods said on 09.02.12 at 10:22 PM • [link]

Fly Ranch Geyser - my new method of picking vacation spots is to check the Atlas Obscura for the weirdest locales. This place has an active geothermal geyser and a second geyser that no longer has sufficient water pressure. The photos are neat (surreal looking cone with bizarre stuff growing on it).

http://static.atlasobscura.net…
Dawn in Nevada said on 09.02.12 at 11:26 PM • [link]

I have lived in Nevada since 1978, 21 of those years were spent in Las Vegas. I currently live in Elko which is in the northeastern part of the state at the foot of the Ruby Mountains. It’s really quite beautiful but we do get lots of snow in the winter. We’re a 7 hour long and lonely drive from Southern Nevada. But since Las Vegas was my home, I’m always a bit uncomfortable reading romances that take place there. I’ve never really figured out why. But I’ll give this one a try.
Jamie said on 09.03.12 at 12:26 AM • [link]

Last went to Vegas 7 years ago and loved the old-school neon and kitsch of Freemont St. I’m going again in 10 days, and I need to find some good slots. My grandmother passed away back in June, and she loved slots, so I’m taking a couple of rolls of quarters for all of us to play in her memory. I hope she sends me a little of her luck - she was good at winning “jackpots.”

As far as a place that I would like to go that I haven’t been - I’d love the see the geothermal features at Steamboat Springs near Reno.
Helen said on 09.03.12 at 01:48 AM • [link]

I really enjoyed the Hoover Dam tour, and I also got to take a helicopter flight over Hoover Dam and Lake Mead which was fantastic.
Angie in KY said on 09.03.12 at 08:22 AM • [link]

I’ve never been to Nevada so the chance to visit any part of the state would be pretty cool.
Anna M.P. said on 09.03.12 at 08:26 AM • [link]

I would love to go to Death Valley. I was there once before in springtime and since it had rained it was full of flowers and butterflies. I would love to go back and see it when it’s more the forbidding desert it usually is.
Shiny said on 09.03.12 at 10:22 AM • [link]

Hoover Dam was definitely the neatest thing I did when I was in Nevada, and the Nuclear test site museum in Las Vegas was much cooler than the strip which didn’t do much of anything for me at all.
Kim Fenton said on 09.03.12 at 12:07 PM • [link]

isn’t there a place in nevada where you can stand on 4 states all at one time? that’s the place i wanna go to. or come. whichever happens first.
Karin said on 09.03.12 at 04:35 PM • [link]

The ride over the Sierra Nevada mountains from California to Lake Tahoe & Reno is gorgeous, I’d love to do it again. We were on a 2 lane road, I think it might have been U.S. 50.
Ashlea H said on 09.04.12 at 08:32 AM • [link]

I didn’t like Vegas much - maybe I’ll try Reno sometime and see if it’s better.
Roz Groves said on 09.04.12 at 09:15 AM • [link]

Anywhere you can get a yard glass of margarita for $2.00 gets my vote. Can’t remember which casino it was - hell, probably because of the margarita.