Review: "Mayday" by Olivia Dade (Contemporary Romance)

	Mayday (#3) by Olivia Dade Publisher: Kensington Publishing Series: Lovestruck Librarians Broken Resolutions (#1) My Reckless Valentine (#2) Ready to Fall (#4) Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: May 10, 2016 (Affiliate links)
Description from Publisher: Helen Murphy loves her supportive family, her close-knit circle of friends, and her part-time job at the library. What she doesn't love: the fact that she's a thirty-six-year-old near-virgin who lives in her parents' house. Eager to move out and reclaim her independence at long last, she's determined to get the library's new Community Outreach Coordinator position. Even if that means working side-by-side with the one man she desperately wants to avoid--Niceville's ambitious mayor Wes Ramirez, who happens to be her only previous lover, and the source of her greatest humiliation… Wes needs to make up for his disastrous one-night--actually, make that one-hour--stand with deliciously nerdy librarian Helen. As they plan the city's upcoming May Day celebrations together, he'll try to prove he can do better, in bed and out. It may take every bit of his creativity and determination, but their budding romance has already gone down in flames once . . . and he'll be damned if he'll let Helen go a second time.
	Sexiness Rating:
I received a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.com for an honest, unbiased review. My opinion is my own. First, the things that I liked about this book. There was some fun banter between Wes and Helen. At times, they felt well-matched for one another. Wes' "plan" was an interesting idea and the buildup generally worked. All of the information about the May Day holiday and its traditions was a fun touch. But... The ages didn't feel right for this to me. The way they acted, the points they were in their lives... It felt more appropriate for people in their twenties than for people in their mid/late-thirties (and I say this as someone in her early thirties). Helen's "dream" was not just small, it didn't even seem to make much sense for someone her age. She just wanted to "work with books" and support herself... Working in a bookstore would have been fine with her. But there were no other jobs in bookstores or libraries for over hundreds of miles? That's asking for quite a suspension of disbelief. Her lack of considering jobs outside this didn't make me take her very seriously either, unfortunately. If she loves books, why not consider trying to work for a publisher? If supporting herself was so important, surely there were administrative opportunities available somewhere within 400 miles of her? :/ Something like this wouldn't ordinarily be all that important, except that it was such a big deal to the plot that she couldn't possibly work anywhere but at that library because there was no other work for her anywhere else. I also couldn't really understand why exactly Wes cared so much all of a sudden. They had basically no history that he was aware of, aside from a "one-hour stand." Being apologetic, sure. Caring to "win her"? Hmm. The ridiculous jealous behavior didn't seem to work for me either. Which brings me to the other thing that just didn't work for me: The sex. The language and behaviors felt jarring to me once things of sexual nature came up. You would get grandiose emotions that felt a bit over the top, and then things like "I want to eat your pussy" and "He couldn't wait to feel her warm pussy pulsing around his cock." I'll admit that, generally, I cringe when I read "pussy" and "tits" in romance novels, but I can look past them most of the time. In this, though, so much of everything was just about lust and sex. Wes didn't woo Helen. He got her off. They were either at work, or getting each other off somewhere (handjobs in cars, cunnilingus in the mayor's office, "dry humping" in a public pool...). It seems that even Helen's previous virgin status was just another thing to excite Wes and had very little baring on the plot. Overall, I felt like there was a lot of promise here. I liked the author's voice, and the characters were all fine. The issues encountered were interesting and not too crazy as to be unbelievable. Unfortunately, I need to toss this into the "Not for Me" pile. If you are someone who enjoys jealous alpha males, borderline-smutty sex scenes, and insta-lust then this is very likely the book for you! If not, it just might not be your cup of tea. :)