Let us Talk of Many Things; of Books and Queens and Pirates, of Mystery and Kings...: Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour: The Shaw Thing by Tanya Mounts

Friday, 12 September 2025

Rachel's Random Resources Book Tour: The Shaw Thing by Tanya Mounts

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About the Book

The Shaw Thing

Recently separated Demelza is nearing 50 and learning to live life again away from her problematic ex. The menopause is causing havoc with her hormones and after years of frustration she finds herself attracted to a much younger man.

28 year old wanna be comedian Stephen Shaw knows he’s attractive. He’s worked hard on his talent and physique but he never imagined being instantly smitten by a woman old enough to be his mother.

After an almost one night stand, Stephen starts work as Demelza’s new PA and the sparks continue to fly.

When Demelza’s ex comes back on the scene, she has to stand her ground and find the strength to fight for what she believes in.

Stephen shows Demelza what it’s like to have a man that’s kind, considerate and confident in life and also in the bedroom.

Will their relationship turn into something lasting or is Stephen just a Shaw thing?

This dual POV spicy romance has a supportive cast of friends and sizzling chemistry.

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The Shaw Thing

Throughout this novel we have Dem learning to love herself again after her long marriage. Although we know deep down that it shouldn’t take another person to make us feel good, when someone else finds us attractive it makes us feel better about ourselves. In this extract Stephen has started working for Dem and she’s starting to look forward to an interesting time in the office.

How on earth was she going to handle this at work? She prided herself on being professional at all times. Had never even contemplated an office romance, OK, most of the time she’d been married and would never have cheated on Russell but still, how did people do it and not get caught? It was already obvious to her that Stephen was catching her eye at every opportunity, she’d have to have a word with him about that but then was it just her imagination? After all, he was the new boy, she was his boss, it was perfectly natural for him to glance her way.

It might be exciting!

She had to admit, even if it was just to herself that this was at the very least, a huge ego boost. Dem had considered herself on the shelf years ago and had never attracted another man’s attention since being with Russell, Clive didn’t count, Clive went after anyone who he thought he stood a chance with. But having someone almost twenty years younger than her – yes, she’d looked at his induction information and he was soon to be twenty-nine – was making her feel attractive again. It wouldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t go anywhere but it was still nice all the same.

The opportunity to tell the girls had well and truly passed now, they’d already discussed their days and Beth was already offline. It felt nice to have Stephen all to herself though. No teasing about the age difference, no expectations on her to kiss him, not kiss him, ask him out, wait to be asked out, no, just total silence where she could just be his boss and nothing else.

Oh but who was she kidding.

That night she had the most erotic dream of her life and woke up dripping in sweat and not from the hot flushes for once. It had been so vivid that she felt disappointed that it wasn’t real. She’d never had a dream like that before. Dem prided herself on having a good imagination, but the things Stephen was doing to her were beyond anything she’d ever considered in a relationship and when another woman appeared in the dream she was turned on even more.

A cold shower was on the agenda, but this was just too painful and in the end Dem turned the heat up. She washed her hair even though she’d only washed it on Saturday. She used the body scrub that one of her daughters had bought her for Christmas and even shaved her legs. Choosing an outfit had never been hard for her but now she was flinging everything out of her wardrobe until finally she settled on a black, mid-calf length pencil skirt and a deep red blouse with matching deep red heels. She’d even dug out the one and only lingerie set she owned.

She looked in the mirror when she was ready.

‘Who are you and what on earth have you done with Demelza Taylor?’

My Thoughts

A romantic 'romp' which might not appeal to everyone, unless an avid follower of the 'spicy' type novel, but this one made a nice change to have a slight role-reversal of the woman, Demelza, emerging from a break-up with her ex, being the older partner (48) and the man, Comedian Stephen, younger at 28... the stereotype of a 'toy boy'. (A phrase not used so much now - thank goodness!)

Written from the viewpoints of both characters this style was well done and quite absorbing - hearing from both characters as their initial coincidental chance meetings grew into a relationship.

I admit the use of the name 'Demelza' initially threw me, (a name made-up, I believe, by Winston Graham for his 'Poldark' series - as I so deeply associate that name with the books!) but once into this story the character emerged into her own person, so the association quickly dissipated.

It was also good to read about an older woman on the verge of the menopause as opposed to the usual romance story of young twenty-somethings. Relationships are not restricted to the under thirties, as this author showed us very well indeed!

So, this one might not appeal to all readers because of the sexual detail, but an absorbing story about two believable fictional people.

*** 4 stars