--- title: "Review: Bottle Rocket, by Erin McLellan" description: Suzanne reviews Bottle Rocket, a second-chance erotic romance from Erin McLellan. image: https://www.loveinpanels.com/hubfs/bottle-rocket.jpg --- [![LoveinPanelswhite.png](https://www.loveinpanels.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LoveinPanelswhite.png?width=640&height=225&name=LoveinPanelswhite.png "LoveinPanelswhite.png")](http://loveinpanels.com/) Search ![Bottle Rocket Cover](https://www.loveinpanels.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bottle-rocket.jpg?height=500&name=bottle-rocket.jpg) **Title**: [Bottle Rocket](https://www.loveinpanels.com/books?id=30761552355) **Author**: - [Erin McLellan](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?author=Erin+McLellan) **Heat**: NSFW **Genre(s)**: [Romance](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?genres=Romance) [Contemporary](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?genres=Contemporary) [Erotic Romance](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?genres=Erotic+Romance) **Tropes**: [Second Chance](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tropes=Second+Chance) [Small Town](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tropes=Small+Town) **Tags**: [queer](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=queer) [f-m](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=f-m) [bisexual](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=bisexual) [pansexual](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=pansexual) [white](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=white) [artist](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=artist) [teacher](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=teacher) [orgy](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=orgy) [femdom](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=femdom) [toys](https://www.loveinpanels.com/booksearch?tags=toys) **Where to Buy or Read**: If you'd like to buy a copy of this book, please consider using [this link](https://amzn.to/2Y74vOH) to support the site. Disclosure Note: Amazon does not share KU revenue with affiliates except on new subscriptions, for which we may earn a "bounty." **Synopsis from the Creator**: Freshly single Rosie Holiday is on the hunt for passion and excitement. This leads her to Leo Whittaker—a bad boy who waltzed out of town, and her life, thirteen years ago. Leo isn’t the type to stick around, but Rosie’s not going to let a no-strings opportunity pass her by. When a business trip sends Leo back to his hometown, the last thing he expects is for his first love to hand him a list of scorching-hot escapades and a deadline. He’s happy to help Rosie discover her bossy side in the bedroom. Or in a fireworks stand. Or at a Fourth of July barbecue. Their chemistry burns bright and fast, but what tore them apart years ago is still between them. They are polar opposites. A reserved kindergarten teacher and an irreverent artist. A nester and a wanderer. It will take a spark of imagination and a lot of love to keep their second-chance romance from flaming out. # [Review: Bottle Rocket, by Erin McLellan](https://www.loveinpanels.com/prose/bottle-rocket) [fa icon="calendar"] Jun 16, 2020 9:34:25 AM / by [Suzanne](https://www.loveinpanels.com/prose/author/suzanne) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) If you're looking for a book in which two people who split up as teens are reunited 13 years later for a week of lots of "no-strings" sex, this is the book for you. As you might expect, the no-strings thing doesn't work. Darn those feelings. Rosie and Leo dated as high schoolers, splitting up when Leo left to escape his stifling rich parents and Rosie stayed put to take care of her younger siblings (see [books 1 and 2 in this series](https://amzn.to/2UPCVmR)). The break-up is mutual, it's not contentious and they always knew it was coming. In the intervening 13 years, Rosie got married and then divorced. Leo traveled the country selling his art and having a whole lot of sex. And then making art of him and his friends having sex. I described this book to a friend as "he likes being bossed around and she likes doing the bossing." He asks her what she wants during the week he's back in town and she makes a sex list. It's very specific. Then they work through the list. There's kink, but it's reliant upon conversation. For example, he tells her he likes to be slapped but not super hard and he's not really into whipping/flogging. They also talk during sex, which is creative and refreshingly low on PIV interaction compared to other acts. Lots of toys, some pegging, much edging, etc. There's also a group sex scene and a scene in which she asks Leo and his good friend to have sex for her to watch. Leo's up for a lot and it's pretty great. He's pansexual and seems to just really like making people feel good. He also has lots of ink etc. Rosie is a kindergarten teacher and everyone thinks she's sweet. And she is! She's also enjoying exploring the sex she didn't get to have with her bad ex-husband. This is very much an erotic romance. They have a strong bond from years ago, things like bottle rockets reminding them of the last summer they spent together, but they're also re-learning each other and re-connecting through sex. Their chemistry is excellent and McLellan continues to be a skilled writer. Romance readers will know how this ends and honestly, I tired of the sex (LOL, I know) but if you're looking for a very hot read with both real and metaphorical fireworks, this will do the job well. *** If you'd like to buy a copy of this book, please consider using [this link](https://amzn.to/2Y74vOH) to support the site. Disclosure Note: Amazon does not share KU revenue with affiliates except on new subscriptions, for which we may earn a "bounty." *** *Suzanne received a copy of this book for review.* **Content Warnings**: mild kink, references to cheating, strained/non-existent parental relationships, heroine raised her siblings. probably more that I'm forgetting, I'm sorry! 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