'Something Naughty'

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (January 2, 2007)
Language: English

I was lucky enough to win an ARC of 'Something Naughty' a while ago so I thought the least I could do would be to review it. Judging by the cover I assumed that this would be just like every other erotic romance, full of steaming hot sex and nothing else.

'Something Naughty' is Delilah Dawson's fifth book. It revolves around Tanika Davis, the co-owner of the lingerie and sex toy line ‘Naughty Devil’, and Damon Becker, an executive of Becker Style Business Wear. Damon’s grandmother, matriarch of Becker Style has decided to go into business with ‘Naughty Devil’, a move that conservative Damon is completely against. The conflict between Tanika and Damon in the boardroom quickly becomes sex in the bedroom and other places. What begins as a harmless fling turns into something more, which neither party is ready for.

This book surprised me. For the first few chapters there was a lot of mindless shagging and I thought this would be the case throughout the book. But I was proved wrong. 'Something Naughty' went on to explore the blossoming relationship between Damon and Tanika. Damon wants more than just a few quickies, while Tanika wants the deal to remain just about sex. I enjoyed the humour in the book, the banter between the two main characters. Towards the end, Damon has to deal with a major loss and Tanika is there to help him through it.

What also surprised me was that this book is about a black couple. I was a few chapters in before I realised it, and when I looked at the cover again, sure enough, those gorgeous legs belong to a black woman. Not that it makes a difference what colour the couple is, it’s just that I’d never read an erotic romance focusing on a black couple before. And it was really sexy, probably because some new words were used in sex and banter and that added a newness for me, which I really enjoyed.

When I was first introduced to Tanika, I rolled my eyes thinking “not another one. I thought “oh, yay, another modern chick who only does no-strings-attached sex, wears business suits with stilettos, and drives fast, cold as ice“. These females seem rife in every contemporary romance I read these days, and maybe that is a reflection on today‘s society, but sometimes I would like a break. But I was happy to find that the author delves past the hard exterior into Tanika’s character, as deeply as one can delve in an erotic romance. She lets the reader in on Tanika’s issues with men, her insecurities, her personality. And I really appreciated that. There is one particular scene in ‘Something Naughty‘, after a meaningful session of love-making, where Tanika uses a camera to hide how vulnerable she is feeling. That was probably my favourite scene in the book.

I didn’t feel like I knew Damon as well as Tanika when I finished the book. But that said, I did like him. I found his character very sexy, stuffy in the office, but an animal in the bedroom. And he has a killer body too, which is pretty useful in an erotic romance. I liked that the author showed his relationship with his grandmother, how much he cared about her. It added something to the book.


One thing that really got to me is that the word ‘impaled’ is used in one particular love scene, and that totally threw me. I just hate that word, it’s so ugly. But that’s a personal thing and doesn’t take away from the fact that I really liked this book.

Overall, I think ‘Something Naughty’ is an easy, sexy contemporary designed to keep you reading ‘til the very last page and then to put it on your shelf and totally forget about it.

Rating: 21/30

Buy 'Something Naughty' here and read it on a dateless night with lots of wine.