Coral Triton has a job that suits her name: she’s a professional mermaid. She’s also finally gotten her big break: a fully choreographed Vegas show at the high-class hotel L’Atelier. To celebrate, she picks a handsome traveler for a one-night stand. Their awkward first meeting at the airport notwithstanding, sparks fly immediately. But there’s no way she’ll cross paths with her mystery man again in Vegas, right?
As it happens, the two are closer than either of them imagined. The handsome Jameson “Jamie” Standard is the big brother of Coral’s new boss Jocelyn. Jamie is also fighting off his “bad boy of business” image (thanks to an interview gone wrong) right in the middle of closing the biggest deal of his life. But a viral video of Coral and Jamie meeting during one of her performances gives Jocelyn an idea: have Coral and Jamie fake a fairy tale romance. Their love story should melt even the iciest hearts back in Boston, and it won’t do any harm for L’Atelier’s publicity, either. Jamie and Coral agree, but they’re both contending with their own warring feelings. Is this really “just business”? Could a mermaid and a businessman living on opposite sides of the country even have a lasting relationship? And what would happen if the truth of their fake dating scheme went as viral as their first video?
E.F. Dodd’s ONE NIGHT STANDARD is the second in the Standards of Love series—the first being A Higher Standard—but knowledge of the first book isn’t necessary to enjoy this entry. There are multiple explicit sex scenes, and they are central to this romantic romp: whether that’s a deal-maker or a deal-breaker is up to the reader’s own personal tastes. ONE NIGHT STANDARD isn’t just a quick story pulled up around a few sex scenes, though. The chemistry between Coral and Jamie, both struggling with mountains of self-doubt and uniquely situated to help each other through their respective issues, is the real focus of this book. The narrative bounces from one to the other with chapters generally divided between their viewpoints. As Coral fights to find success in a largely misunderstood field and under the eye of her critical mother, Jamie struggles with accusations from the press—some of which he fears may be true.
The sweet spot is where these storylines intertwine, and the realism of Coral and Jamie helping each other while occasionally butting heads. Two willful but troubled people are highly likely to cross lines, and those crossed lines are discussed and addressed. For example, Jamie’s concern about Coral potentially contracting hypothermia doesn’t justify talking over her in her place of work. Both of them make mistakes, and both of them fix those mistakes.
If there is one weakness in this book, it’s that the climactic stakes come and go surprisingly quickly. While the main conflict of ONE NIGHT STANDARD is whether or not Jamie and Coral will end up together, there is a second conflict lurking: what will happen if anyone finds out that their romance was (at least initially) manufactured for press? That conflict does come to a head, but the fallout and resolution don’t feel like they have much time to breathe.
Despite this, ONE NIGHT STANDARD is still a steamy and satisfying read. The central couple grows, changes, and complements each other. Best of all, this book proves that respecting each other’s boundaries can be extremely hot.
More than just a sexy romance, E.F. Dodd’s ONE NIGHT STANDARD is a heartfelt and fulfilling story of two people learning to love and accept themselves.
~Kara Dennison for IndieReader