Friday's Temptation - Cynthia VanRooy

Title: Friday’s Temptation
Author: Cynthia VanRooy
Publisher: Currently Unavailable
Genre: Romance; Contemporary
Reviewed For/Rating: FAR/5 Angels

Taylor Sloane is a popular novelist, though he keeps to himself and hates being disturbed by fans. He doesn’t like depending on anyone else thanks to his childhood experiences. He counts few as his friends and is closest to his dog, Caesar. Caesar is not only a pet; he is also a guard dog. His intimidating size is enough to keep most people at bay, which suits Taylor just fine. Taylor now finds himself in the position of needing to depend on another person, being temporarily blind from a fall. He struggles to come to terms with his disability, though the doctors advise his condition to be impermanent. On the advice of a friend, Stan, he hires Jill Fiori, never suspecting that he could become closer to her than anyone else in living memory. Never believing he could long to be with one person. Never even considering the possibility that he could fall in love. With his determination never to expose himself to the potential for hurt and betrayal, is there any chance for a relationship beyond the physical between Taylor and Jill?

Jill Fiori needs a place to stay whilst she finishes her dissertation. The building going on next to her apartment makes it impossible for her to get any work done unless she gives up sleeping. When her friend and mentor, Stan, tells her of an opening working for Taylor, she is quick to snap it up. Though she would not ordinarily live with a stranger, thanks to her avid reading of his novels she feels she knows him. Besides, he and his fictional character play starring roles in her more risqué fantasies. It seems, however, that Stan left one or two important details out. Like the fact that Taylor is a stickler for good home cooked meals – and he has a dog. Jill really does not like dogs, as well Stan knows. Neither is she that good of a cook. It seems that Stan may have had a bit of matchmaking on his mind. There is certainly a sizzle between Jill and Taylor, which sparks and flames into a hot physical relationship, but whilst Jill’s feelings are deepening for Taylor, are his also developing for her? Is there any reason for Jill to hope for a more permanent relationship than a transient bodily one?

This is my first tale by Cynthia VanRooy and I have enjoyed it very much. Friday’s Temptation is a fairly unusual story in that the hero is blind, albeit temporarily. It is rare to find such a character in a novel, indeed to come across a hero or heroine with any disability in a story. The two characters are quite different from one another; yet seem to suit each other well. The draw between them is strong, though Taylor knows not what Jill looks like. The path to a long-term relationship between them is not smooth and at first appears to be a dead end. They each have to grapple with themselves, most especially Taylor, before they can engage in a relationship. There is sex in this tale, but there is no explicit language used nor are their any taboo sexual acts engaged in. Friday’s Temptation is very enjoyable and one I’d advise you to watch out for.

Precious Things - Gail R Delaney

Title: Precious Things
Author: Gail R Delaney
Publisher: Currently Unavailable
Genre: Romance; Contemporary
Reviewed For/Rating: FAR/5 Angels And A Recommended Read Angel

Jewell Kincaid is going to Bulwark Mutual Funds for a job interview, hoping to land the position that'll get her $6,000 a year more than where she works now. She doesn't expect to come across BP Roth, a fund manager who makes his employees flinch when he turns to them and reduces them to tears when they need clarification on his instructions. Luckily, the position she is applying for is with a different fund manager - until she sticks up to BP Roth and he becomes determined to have her work for him, instead. The good news is that this station will have the responsibilities she has become accustomed to, which the previous placement she was applying for did not have. It also pays more, a lot more. $16,000 a year more than her current work - that's $10,000 a year more than the job she was originally applying for. For that amount of money, she'll put up with almost anything, even the short tempered Benjamin Prescott Roth. She faces just one problem. It doesn't seem to matter to her body that BP Roth is gruff and impatient. The attraction she feels towards him is strong, and keeping a professional distance is increasingly difficult. But surely there can be no future for them? He's her boss, she is his employee. There are already too many rumors making the rounds about them. Adding to them would be career suicide...

Benjamin Prescott Roth comes from an old money family. Not that he parades this fact about for everybody to see. Benjamin is a hard man, one who does not believe in love, except when it comes to his little sister, Victoria - the only person in his family who has ever shown him this emotion. His father is an abusive drunk, and his mother a spineless woman who never stuck up for her children. Even though his family is wealthy, Benjamin has made his own way in the world. After his father ranted he would always be a financial burden, he never took a single cent from him following graduation, gaining full academic scholarship and working his way through graduate school. His father hates him, and shipped him off to boarding school when he was a child so he wouldn't have to look at him. Why? Because Benjamin is deaf. He has been since he was born. He has learned sign language, how to speak and how to lip read. He has made a huge success of his life. His disability has not held him back. When he meets Jewell, he admires her gumption in standing her ground against him. This, combined with her qualifications and her knowledge of sign language, make him determined to gain her as his executive assistant over the current inept woman who currently fills that role. It is only later, once the deal is done, that he comes to realize that hiring her on as his assistant was a stupid thing to do. She is the best assistant he has ever had, but it has long been his policy never to get involved with an employee. His attraction to Jewell is putting his strength of will to the test - and it seems inevitable that his desire for her will eventually win out...

Precious Things, the first tale I have read by Gail R Delaney but rest assured not the last, is a fabulous story with brilliantly developed characters that come to life on the page. Benjamin is a man scared by his past, unwilling to trust in love, even as his feelings for Jewell grow ever deeper. Jewell herself is not someone without her own painful background, though she comes from a loving and protective family that anybody would love to be a member of. This story is unusual in that the hero is deaf. I have not yet read a novel where a main character had a disability/impairment, but the way in which this was detailed as an integral part of the storyline by Ms. Delaney not only got and kept me interested in the story, but also wondering whether she has some form of first hand experience with deafness herself. The problems faced by Benjamin due to his impairment are numerous and well detailed, yet the reader is not allowed to feel pity for this man, for he has become a very successful despite his disability. Besides which, he is not a man who would not want your sympathy. Tragedy dogs his footsteps, which will strike a resounding pang in your heart. Will he let Jewell through his walls, or will he turn from her in his time of need, hurting them both in the process? Precious Things is thoroughly enjoyable and a credit to Ms. Delaney!

Regulating Archimedes - Brenda Bryce

TITLE: The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes
AUTHOR: Brenda Bryce
ISBN: 1-59632-142-3
GENRE: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Blog Special/Excellent

BUY REGULATING ARCHIMEDES HERE

Angela Heissman, a scientist, lives a fairly ordinary life - though some would think her occasional absentmindedness and preoccupation with her laboratory work slightly strange. She lives for her work and is currently trying to compile a serum that would be able to identify certain blood ailments. This particular task is very close to her heart, as her mother died at a young age from anaemia. She is frustrated that her current experiments keep going awry, not to mention her superior keeps stealing her work and taking the credit for it. Her life is fairly simple and little out of the ordinary ever happens to her. With the arrival of Stephen Westlake in her laboratory, however, this quickly changes. Finding out her boss has once again stolen her work, this time the serum she is trying to develop, is the last straw: she quits her job and shortly after this is kidnapped. She is unable to understand what the kidnappers want from her but is ecstatic to escape them. Could the kidnapping have something to do with her serum? What is Stephen’s place in all that happens? What of the attraction she feels towards him, the likes of which she has never felt towards another man?

Stephen Westlake is a nine hundred year old vampire. Having recently been appointed The Society’s Regulator, a new position created by the new leader of the vampires, his first task was to investigate those holding key positions in The Society, to find out whether they were straight or crooked. Most were clean; all bar The Society’s Archimedes. Having dealt with the threat he posed, The Society is now in need of a new Archimedes. This is his second assignment. Provided with a list of five potential scientists who could fill the position, he now needs to identify which of the five is best suited for the placement. He decides to start with Angela Heissman, who seems to be the odd one out on the list. The only female being considered, she is not an expert in her field, unlike the four men, two of whom are Nobel Prize winners. Thinking it will be easy to eliminate her, he is understandably rather confused when it turns out that the serum the previous Archimedes was going to use to harm the new leader is hers. It seems there is more than meets the eye to this female scientist, after all. With an unknown vampire out to capture her, it is up to Stephen to keep her from harm whilst finding out all he can about the unknown vampire, the serum and what Angela has to do with everything that is going on. All the while, he has to contend with the strong attraction he feels towards her – the likes of which he has never experienced but was told to expect by his father when he met his mate. Angela can’t be his mate, though – can she?

Wowee! Talk about a refreshing, action-packed, sensual vampire romance! Brenda Bryce’s The Society 1: Regulating Archimedes is a fabulous tale that is most certainly not your average vampire romance. Containing more than its fair share of intrigue, this is one storyline you will find yourself completely immersed in. Never a boring moment in this story, you will be unable to stop reading from start to finish. I love the characters, all of whom are very well developed. Several events in the plot are completely unexpected, with the story taking twists and turns that enriches the plot and keeps it interesting. Love scenes in this tale are fairly detailed but not explicit, occasionally bringing a smile to my face. Brenda Bryce has me hooked. I crave more and celebrate the contracted second in the series - and the third that is in the works. They cannot be published soon enough.

Rubies, Sapphires And Ivory - JJ Massa

TITLE: Rubies, Sapphires And Ivory
AUTHOR: JJ Massa
ISBN: 1-60054-079-5 (Old VP ISBN:1-59836-21-4)
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
PUBLISHER: 1st release Venus Press, 2nd release loveyoudivine
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: JJ Massa's Newsletter/Very Good

BUY RUBIES, SAPPHIRES AND IVORY HERE (NB. This title is now a bonus story that comes with Love Like Blood)

Niccolo Ascosi is a vampire, over two hundred years of age. A rich man, he owns many businesses but does not have the one thing he desires above all else, the one thing he has been searching for for centuries. A companion. A mate. When first seeing Ivory, he feels a reaction to her he cannot explain and he acts totally out of character, inviting her to join him at his table and share his wine. He quickly decides that she will be his sustenance that night, both her blood and her body, a combination he has rarely partaken of. Little does he know, she may be just what he has been searching for for so long. Will she fulfil all the desires of his heart? Or will she take his heart and shatter it, leaving him facing a pain that is greater than any he has ever experienced?

Rubies, Sapphires and Ivory is an engaging tale told from both characters perspectives that is no less than what I have come to expect from JJ Massa. Exceedingly well written, this is a heart warming story of a man who has long searched for that special someone with little hope of ever finding her and a woman with many personal problems who never thought to find someone who would love her for herself. My enjoyment of this story was only marred by the occasional editorial error. I would have liked to see the characters slightly more developed, but with all JJ Massa has packed into this fairly short story, I am delighted to say that this is a great tale, well worth taking the time to purchase and read. Rubies, Sapphires and Ivory would make a great addition to your ‘forever collection’.

The Hired Hand - Melissa Schroeder

TITLE: The Hired Hand
AUTHOR: Melissa Schroeder
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Whisky Creek Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Sasha's Ezine/Excellent

BUY THE HIRED HAND HERE

What would you do if your best friend arranged for you to get laid by a ‘professional’? Or if you were mistaken for a hired gigolo? The Hired Hand by Melissa Schroeder is a tale with a humorous beginning that deals with just these eventualities.

Marlow is a petite woman whose ingrained manners prevent her from leaving anyone, even a hired gigolo, sitting in a bar all night waiting for her to turn up. What follows goes against all her intentions and beliefs.

Humour is plentiful from beginning to end. The story begins very light-hearted but the ending will find you wearing a very happy expression, though perhaps slightly tearful from its poignancy. You will feel a whole range of emotions whilst reading this tale, from humour to happiness to righteous indignation to anger to sadness to empathy and several others besides.

Marlow’s friends are extremely likeable; you will wish they were your own. Marlow herself is a focused woman whose life centers on pleasing her parents, whom she loves very much, and her job. Liam is a man who has more than his fair share of woman, an outrageous flirt and someone who gave little thought to ever settling down.

Apart they are fabulous characters; together they are pure dynamite. The characters are all well developed, you feel as if they could be real, people you know and count amongst your own circle of friends. The chemistry between Marlow and Liam is explosive and implodes at every opportunity. Though the language is not overly graphic and the characters do not engage in any of the more ‘taboo’ sexual activities, this is one hot, sexy read that’ll keep you reading till either you finish or your eyes drop closed against your will. If you are not a Schroeder fan yet, upon reading this you will be.

What's Love Got To Do With It? - Susie Charles

TITLE: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
AUTHOR: Susie Charles
ISBN: 1-59279-252-9
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3.5 Unicorns

BUY WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT? HERE

Nick Matheson and Kate Sinclair have been dating for six months but have not yet had sex, though Kate has the hottest body that Nick has ever seen and he is desperate to get into her pants. Having been hurt by a man who professed to love her, Kate is taking things slowly. Now, though, neither can resist the attraction between them, particularly after such a long dry spell. Nick asks Kate to go away with him for the weekend, and she accepts. Their planned weekend of hot sex turns into much more than either of them planned. But with all the mishaps and confusion between them, how will their relationship turn out?

I have previously read a story by Ms Charles and enjoyed it very much. After the plot line and the author caught my eye, I decided to give What’s Love Got To Do With It? a try. Though not up to the standards of the previous story, this novella demonstrates the author’s ability to write detailed and sizzling sex scenes. Due to the shortness of the tale, the characters are not as developed as I would have liked, but considering the amount of detail that Ms Charles has managed to successfully include within this story, this is not something I focused on or minded very much. Just enough detail is given about the characters lives, with an emphasis on their emotions, to make them seem like real people. Please be aware that there is some light bondage in this tale. Though neither character is looking for love, it is something they both find, regardless. What’s Love Got To Do With It? Everything.

Well Hung - ML Rhodes

TITLE: Well Hung
AUTHOR: ML Rhodes
ISBN: 1-59279-226-X
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY WELL HUNG HERE

Jen Hunter has won a kitchen makeover from Dream Room, a television show that completely renovates the winner’s kitchen in the space of a day, and then broadcasts the results of the hard work of the team. Jen has never watched the show; her ex-boyfriend took the pictures of her kitchen and entered her in the competition, partly for revenge but also to try and present his idea for a TV show to the directors. Having not watched the show, Jen is unaware of just who the carpenter is, the man a whole nation of women have been drooling over. After unsuccessfully trying to cancel her win, when the team of Dream Room arrive to set up the cameras and get to work, Jen finds herself face to face with a blast from her past – the man she rejected, but has never forgotten.

Gabriel Jackson, the carpenter for Dream Room and the man Jen has always regretted leaving, has found fame and fortune on the TV show, something that had never been in his plans. Now he’s going to renovate Jen’s kitchen. But has he forgotten the pain she caused him? And does he have a hidden agenda when he goes to Jen’s bungalow?

Well Hung has been extremely well written and is a credit to the author, ML Rhodes, and its publisher, Amber Quill press. The plot works really well in this short story, the tale of a love once rejected, never forgotten and blooming once again when the chance to do so is presented. The sex scenes are inventive and detailed, both inside and outside Jen’s home (caught your attention there, didn’t I?). Well hung is definitely a worth-while. Having enjoyed this so much, I shall most certainly be on the lookout for more of Ms Rhodes work.

Truth Or Bare - Sally Apple

TITLE: Truth Or Bare
AUTHOR: Sally Apple
ISBN: 1-59632-057-5
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Loose ID
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY TRUTH OR BARE HERE

Melvin – Mel to his friends - has a really high sex drive. In his opinion, both his heads have minds of their own, with the smaller of the two tending to rule everything. No matter the circumstances, in nearly any sexual situation, it will perk up, showing its interest and standing tall. Mel finds it really embarrassing that he has no control over his own lower extremities, but this latest incident really takes the cake. Going to his ex-girlfriend’s house on Halloween in a bid to make up after their quarrel, he is stunned by the scene he walks in on, but his (as he calls it) Pogo stick arises. Being dumped by his girlfriend is the latest in a string of disasters for him: he lost his mother and then became so involved in making funeral arrangements he didn’t check in at his job – so the company gave his job to someone else. Coming across a Laura Spear in his late mother’s address book, he phones her – and finds out he has a living relative he never knew about. She persuades him to visit her, and since he wants to know more about his mother when she was younger and was planning to go on a road trip to get away from everything anyway, he agrees to go. And boy is he grateful he did. It’s a good job she’s not a blood relative, because he is having many lusty thoughts about her. But will his plain old-fashioned lust develop into something more?

Dr Laura Spear has been searching for her adopted sister for years. Only now she finds out it’s too late – her sister has passed away. Eager to meet the son of her beloved sister, she invites him to visit, but is unprepared for her reaction to him. She has never responded to a man the way she does to him. But it’s wrong. He is her nephew, after all...well, kind of. Besides which, she is much immersed in her current project - disproving the thesis that an athletes abstinence from sex boosts their performance and increases their stamina - and does not have time for a sexual relationship. Indeed, it has been quite a long spell for her. Will she be able to resist Mel’s overtures, a man ten years her junior? Or will she succumb...and fall in love?

Sally Apple is very daring. Detailed in Truth Or Bare are certain scenes that I have never come across. This daring on the part of the author shows either a confidence that readers will like and find humour in what she writes, or a determination to write what she likes regardless of what some readers may not like. Whilst originally surprised by the opening scenes, I quickly grew to like this author’s style. I have read very few stories where the woman is older than the man, but this is definitely the most refreshing and original of the bunch. The characters are both rather well-developed, with the story being told in third person from both their points of view. Both characters have their insecurities, but when they develop feelings for one another it is up to Mel to make their relationship all it can be. Please be aware that this tale contains both threesome and anal sex scenes. Truth Or Bare is a very good read, and I would very much like to read more of Sally Apple's work.

Virgo - Emma Bruce & Keira Ramsey

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Virgo
AUTHOR: Emma Bruce and Keira Ramsey
ISBN: 1-59578-146-3
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY VIRGO HERE

Fateful Fieldtrip – Emma Bruce

Suzanne Tate is a museum curator. Her favourite exhibit is the astrology section, where the different signs hang suspended from the ceiling. A Virgo herself, she follows the horoscopes and really knows her stuff about each of the signs. Having had a bad relationship, she is somewhat wary of getting emotionally close to someone again, though her ex was an Aquarius. That should have told her something. An Aquarius is the worst possible match for a Virgo. When she meets Tim Mitchell, a substitute teacher escorting ten years olds on a museum trip, she helps him when he has a dizzy turn in the journey through the birth process display room. Though many people tend to feel nauseated at the display, Suzanne doesn’t help them, leaving aid to the technicians. Why she helps Tim is a complete mystery to her, as is the strange feeling she has towards him and the way they seem to just…click. She invites him back to museum that night, where they have a picnic – and scorching hot sex – beneath the Constellations and Zodiac display. But whilst the attraction between them sizzles, will any possible relationship between them fizzle out before the morning sunrise?

Blink Of An Eye – Keira Ramsay

Cassidy Thompson owns her own business, Cassidy’s Cuppa Cafe, in Oklahoma. Having lost her fiancé Brian years ago in the Murrah bombings, she has been determined not to get emotionally involved with another man for fear of being devastated in the same way again. When Scott Carnes walks into her coffee shop late one stormy night near closing, she is knocked for a loop by the attraction she feels towards him – especially since he is significantly younger than her. Sensing he has suffered through some trauma, though not in the least put off by his missing an eye, she is unprepared for the flirtation he engages her in. Feeling more attracted to him than anyone in years, she does something she never has before – she has a one-nighter with a stranger. The sex is scorching and wears them both out. She is unsurprised, though slightly hurt, when he creeps out before she awakens in the morning without so much as a goodbye. But is this the end for this pair, one older in years, one aged beyond his years through his experiences as an Air Force Para-rescuer? Will a natural disaster show them the way forward?

Fateful Fieldtrip and Blink Of An Eye are both a part of The Zodiac Series, this sign being Virgo. Though rather short, they are nevertheless still rather enjoyable. I have found great entertainment as I read the series in finding out how the individual authors link their stories to the series. Some of these ways are pure inventiveness on the part of the author. In this particular anthology one couple get down and dirty under the Zodiac signs in a museum display (highly unusual and original in the series). The other is linked by way of the character reading their horoscope, which is used more commonly throughout the series, each author putting together their own unique horoscope to foretell the character’s romantic chances. In both of these tales, the characters had some obstacle to get past, be it age difference or wariness of a relationship. Though seemingly small, these problems are not always surmountable. Thankfully, these very likeable characters, who are all reasonably developed, break past their insecurities to give a long term relationship a try. Both tales have a happy ending; I especially love the insight given four years down the line into how Cassidy and Scott are doing. Virgo is a great edition to The Zodiac Series. Anyone following this set of linked tales should make this an addition on their to buy list.

Libra - Michelle Hoppe & Lavender Wilde

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Libra
AUTHOR: Michelle Hoppe and Lavender Wilde
ISBN: 1-59578-152-8
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4 Unicorns

BUY LIBRA HERE

Tipping The Scales - Michelle Hoppe

In Tipping The Scales by Michelle Hoppe, the Benevolent Order of Heavenly Souls, designed by God to replicate King Arthur’s Round Table, come up with a highly unusual plan to restore love to earth by Valentine’s Day. Namely by having Cupid match people using their astrological signs. In human form, Cupid needs to work his ‘magic’ on Earth, not using a bow and arrow but the horoscopes. Divided as to whether this new method will work, the Order is confident that Cupid will succeed in his mission. Well, most of them. OK, some of them. Cupid renames himself Eugene, gets works in a deli, and begins his first matchmaking attempt – Mary, as indicated by the Order. His initial opinion of her from their first meeting as clumsy gradually changes as he comes to know her. The first attempt to pair her up is disastrous, partly because he doesn’t think to tell her that he is setting her up with someone, rather than asking her out himself. Boy, you can just imagine the scene when she figures it out. But by this point, his feelings for her have developed into something much more meaningful than matchmaker, than friend. His feelings for her are tender, caring. But surely not love? After all, he is cupid and she is, well, human. There is no possible way that they can have a relationship – or is there? Was it on the cards all along?

Jasmine’s Reality - Lavender Wilde

Jasmine’s Reality is the story of Jasmine Barone, who has agreed to take part in a reality TV show competition. The prize money of $100,000 would be enough to pay her school fees and stop her from going into debt for her education. The show is focused on relying on the kindness of strangers. For a total period of six weeks Jasmine and the other contestants are allowed no contact with their family, no access to their own resources and no ID. The existence of the competition is not known to the general public, and Jasmine occasionally feels guilty over deceiving the kind strangers who help her. She is always careful to try and give something back to them, hating the idea of using them for her own gain (unlike some of the other contestants). They are left by themselves in various areas, their clothes and character having been predetermined by their ‘handler’. What sustenance and shelter they need to survive they have to get from strangers. They also need to complete certain tasks. Jasmine’s time in New Orleans is the main focus of the tale, where Jasmine develops a relationship with Jack, who was originally the stranger identified by the group for her to seek aid from. Her feelings for him quickly spill over into unmanageable; her attacks of conscious about using him multiply tenfold as the relationship goes on. Eventually she must leave him, doing so by creeping out in the middle of the night without a goodbye or explanation. But is this the end for this pair? Just what does Jack know that he has kept from Jasmine?



The Libra anthology by Michelle Hoppe and Lavender Wilde makes another great addition to The Zodiac Series, these tales being focused around the star sign Libra. Both stories are idiosyncratic and original. All of the characters are very likeable, with a good development. Information is given about their backgrounds and families, as well as descriptions of their feelings. Each contain a twist that was unforeseen by the reader; both vary somewhat from the synopsis provided by the publisher. The sex in these tales is fairly detailed, though it must be said emotions play a greater part in the plotline than the sexual occurrences between the characters. This anthology is great fun; followers of The Zodiac Series will not be disappointed.

Leo - Rae Monet & Jodi Lynn Copeland

TITLE: The Zodiac Series: Leo
AUTHOR: Rae Monet and Jodi Lynn Copeland
ISBN: 1-59578-145-5
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Liquid Silver Books
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

BUY LEO HERE

Chantilly’s Lace - Rae Monet

Chantilly’s Lace features the story of Scott and Chandra. Scott is a very successful businessman, and he is now looking to acquire Chantilly’s Lace, a lingerie outfit, which is on the verge of bankruptcy after expanding too rapidly. Whilst at the annual Apparel Conference in New York, Scott is seduced by Chandra, who promises only one night of no questions asked sex. Unbeknownst to Scott, Chandra is trying to disprove her ex-boyfriends accusation that she is a cold fish. She responds to Scott in a way she has never responded to another man. Also unknown to Scott is that Chandra is the owner of Chantilly’s Lace. When they finally find out who each other really is, will the sparks still be flying between them? Or will it be business as usual for the pair?

Eve's Interlude - Jodi Lynn Copeland

Jodi Lynn Copeland’s story, Eve’s Interlude, details the turbulent relationship between Eve and Adrien. Eve’s brother is trying to coerce her into marrying a rival businessman, who he views as perfect husband and father material. She decides to rebel and does so by breaking company policy and having sex with a guest. Only, in a case of mistaken identity, she has hot sex with Adrien, the estranged twin of the man she thought she was going to be having sex with. Neither is looking for a relationship, but each is drawn to the other in a way that neither of them can understand. Will these two commitment phobic people fall deeply enough for each other to take a chance at a long term commitment? Or will Adrien race out of town after their weekend of absolute bliss?



This alliance between Rae Monet and Jodi Lynn Copeland is simply superb. These tales are linked together in a few ways, which are discernible early on in the stories. Both have been written very well, their focus as much on the emotional aspects as the physical. In many ways, the male characters are very similar. Each has difficulty expressing themselves in words. Both are not looking for the relationship that sneaks up on them and bites them on the behind. There is also a more personal connection between the pair that I will leave you to find out for yourself. The use of horoscopes in the storyline is rather unique, and I now intend to read the others in The Zodiac Series. I hope I enjoy those tales as much as I have enjoyed these.

The Stars Look Down - Leigh Ellwood

TITLE: The Stars Look Down
AUTHOR: Leigh Ellwood
GENRE: Contemporary Erotica
PUBLISHER: Silks Vault
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/2 Unicorns

BUY THE STARS LOOK DOWN HERE

The main female character, an amateur artist whose name is not given, is out hiking along the New River Gorge when she happens across a good looking man, with long dark hair and a great physique, sitting on a blanket with a picnic basket. They talk about various things and become comfortable with one another, after some confusion on the woman’s part, then gradually get closer and have sex. Is the man a figment of her imagination? Does he really exist? Or was the whole experience a dream?

The Stars Look Down is a very short story. Little background information is given on the characters, particularly the man. It may be the case that this was done to give an air of anonymity to the two strangers who have sex on a cliff. Quite well written, Leigh Ellwood shows promise of being able to write much better work. For what it is, this story is alright. The sex scene is detailed and well worded and the story contains a twist at the end that was completely unexpected. Do not buy this tale thinking it is a romance. The man and woman do not get together, nor do they know one another in the slightest. This is purely erotica; the central storyline being a one night stand with a stranger on a cliff.

Sweet Temptations - Marilyn Lee

TITLE: Sweet Temptations
AUTHOR: Marilyn Lee
ISBN: 1-932866-23-X
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance Anthology
PUBLISHER: Triskelion Publishing
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3.5 Unicorns

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Sweet Temptations is an anthology comprised of three short stories, each the tale of friends.

In Sister’s Keeper, Kelly is once again sorting out the mess her identical twin sister left behind. She has to tell her sister’s current boyfriend that she has eloped with her ex-fiancé. But when she meets Damon, she finds he embodies all the qualities she has ever looked for in a man. The problem is he thinks she is her sister, Karen – and determined to get her man through any means necessary, she doesn’t correct him. Does she get her man? Does he really believe her to be Karen? What wicked delights do they get up to?

In Addicted, Lena meets Marc at a friend’s wedding. He saves her from a persistent co-worker, then leads her out of the reception to his SUV, where they have scorching hot sex on his backseat. He takes her back to his apartment where they engage in an all-nighter. He drops her off in the morning, but she can’t get him off of her mind. Then she finds out he’s involved with another woman. Brought up by parents with strict morals regarding the right behaviour, Lena has already stepped outside the bounds, having sex before marriage. Will she become ‘the other woman’? Can there possibly be a happy ending for anyone in such a triangle?

In Sweet Surrender, Bethnae is determined to make a move on her boss, whom she has been secretly in love with for five years. Taking a leaf out of her friend’s books, she is going to risk it all for the chance of happiness with him. Does he return her overtures at their weekend business getaway? Did he have his own agenda in mind?

I haven’t read Marilyn Lee before, and am not averse to doing so in the future, but I am going to have to choose my stories carefully. Expecting a sweet trilogy, what I got was a trio of very erotic novellas which many may find offensive and morally objectionable. In particular, in Addicted Lena gets involved with a man who is seriously involved with another woman, who then cannot make up his mind which woman he wants. Going further, Lena actively throws herself at him, even though she knows he has no feelings for her, is highly unlikely to make any sort of commitment and is in a serious relationship with another woman. I liked neither of these characters, believing Lena to be the clichéd weak woman and Marc a double timing bastard. I found this novel rather distasteful, though I did appreciate the graphic sex scenes, being an erotica fan. Though the others do not contain circumstances that are as potentially objectionable as this, they also to some degree have events you may find abhorrent. All three novels are extremely erotic. All contain graphic depictions of sex and all have anal sex in the storyline, which again is expounded on. If you dislike sexual encounters in your stories, particularly if they go into detail or the encounters happen when the characters barely know each other, then this is one to avoid, since contrary to its title, this book is not ‘sweet’. If, on the other hand, you consider yourself an erotica fan and very little offends you, then quite possibly this is one to give a go. The detailed sex scenes are the best parts of these novels; some of the storylines leaves something to be desired.

Strip-O-Gram - Ellie Marvel

TITLE: Strip-O-Gram
AUTHOR: Ellie Marvel
ISBN: 1-59279-388-6
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Amber Quill Press
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

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Kitty Bradshaw is facing eviction from her apartment; if she doesn’t pay her rent her landlord will kick her out. So, when her best friend, Sandra, asks her do a birthday strip-o-gram for a guy at work, for which she will be paid, she agrees. After all, it’s not that different to what she did in college, though admittedly that was children’s parties with a different ‘uniform’ involved entirely. It helps that the strip-o-gram is part of her friends plan to show the louse up for what he is; a man who is flouting company policy of no inter-employee relationships, for which he had Sandra put on probation and the other employee she was seeing fired. Anyway, she’ll be wearing a mask and no one will recognise her, since she doesn’t work at the company. Only when she turns up to do the strip-o-gram, she comes face to face with the man she got to know intimately at Sandra’s office Christmas party. How could her instincts have been so off-course about him? Or were they?

Nathan Guillaume was stunned when a woman came into his office, proclaiming herself to be his birthday present from a co-worker – then proceeded to strip, sing and dance for him. No longer a teenager, it’s been years since he got an instant hard-on, but this is the second time in recent months. The first time was at his office Christmas party, before he messed things up. Now, with his entire office watching, he gets one to rival the first – especially when she starts in with the private moves only he can see. But there’s something niggling at the back of his mind. She seems familiar, somehow. Will he remember before she leaves his life again?

Strip-O-Gram is the story of two people who tried to get it on when first they met at an office Christmas party, but due to a lack of necessary precautions, went their separate ways without even exchanging names, let alone a means of contacting one another, with uncompleted business between them – something they both always regretted, each not having been able to get the other off their mind.

Strip-O-Gram has been beautifully crafted by Ms Marvel. The characters engage in rather risky intimate activities, tending to be so into each other they end up in places where their intimate acts risk exposure by someone finding them in a very compromising position. Strip-O-Gram is a really enjoyable story about two people who unknowingly fell for each other when first they met but did not fully seize the opportunity presented to them, and have now been presented with a another chance to get their act together – and get together. This is one I suggest you try out, definitely one to add to your light summer reading pile.

Prodigal Son - Mary Winter

TITLE: StarMyst: Prodigal Son
AUTHOR: Mary Winter
ISBN: 1-4199-0333-0
GENRE: Paranormal Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/3 Unicorns

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At the age of sixteen, Jacy Duwards gave her virginity to Te Mulligan, her twenty year old foster brother. Doing so released the lussor inside her – and broke her heart. Leaving her with only a note, Te left their home, StarMyst, and has not returned for ten years. Only now, when the foster father they both love so much lay very close to death, dying from cancer, does Te return to StarMyst. Jacy denies, even to herself, that she still has any feelings for Te, even though her ex-fiancé, Jarrod, accused her of still being in love with him. It’s not long before the pair are sleeping together, although the first time was in the Ritual of Healing, an attempt to heal their foster father, Edwin, who has been the leader of the Conclave for many years. Does Jacy still love Te, or is it just sexual attraction? Does Te love her? Will he leave her – again? Will he assume his position as Second in the Conclave?

Te has always loved Jacy. At twenty, with the weight of her teenage adoration and his responsibilities as Second in the Conclave resting heavily on his shoulders, he was unable to cope and took the easy way out – running. Now a security consultant, he has kept updated on StarMyst business via phone calls with his beloved foster father and leader, Edwin. He always asked after Jacy, until she became engaged and asking became too painful. Now Edwin has phoned him and asked him to return to StarMyst and assume his role as Edwin’s Second, as Edwin lay dying of cancer with little time left to live. Te returns, hoping against hope that Edwin will recover, but is shocked by the condition he finds him in. Having thrown away what he had with Jacy all those years ago, he now wants a second chance with her. But trying to win Jacy’s heart will not be easy; her mistrust of him runs deep and at this point in time she is entirely focused on Edwin. Does Te win her heart? Did he ever lose it? Does he take over his duties from his foster brother Kade, who is power hungry and a threat to them all? Can he protect Jacy and the other members of the Conclave from the threat within – and without?

Prodigal Son is the first story by Mary Winter that I have read. At times I have found it difficult to follow and do not have a clear cut understanding of what a lussor is, apart from some sort of power the characters need to control that which resides inside them. I have found this story quite complex and do not believe it is for me. Having said that, the way in which the author writes makes it clear that she knows what she wants to write and knows also the direction she wants the story to take. Her sex scenes are detailed, though not explicit. The insecurities of both characters, particularly Jacy’s, shine through the story. I am open to reading more from Mary Winter, but won’t rush to buy any more of this series, should they be published.

Sexual Healing - Tawny Taylor

TITLE: Sexual Healing
AUTHOR: Tawny Taylor
ISBN: 1-4199-0265-2
GENRE: Contemporary Erotic Romance
PUBLISHER: Ellora’s Cave
REVIEWED FOR/RATING: Enchanted In Romance Reviews/4.5 Unicorns

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Lara Woods is well known for her honest and fair book reviews for Detroit’s largest newspaper. Her latest book review, however, is her most stringent one to date. It is so critical of The Sex Plan, which claims sex is a great cure for many varied health problems, she has difficulty convincing her editor and friend to publish it. Of course, that could be because there is a possible conflict of interest. Although not a well known fact, Lara and the author, Adam Roy, were an item in college – until he cut her loose so he could focus more on his studies. When Lara comes into contact with Adam again, the sparks fly. He manages to convince, or maybe trick would be a more suitable word, Lara to let him prove his theories to her. Of course, the only way for him to do this is for him and Lara to test his claims - personally. With the sexual pull between them stronger than ever, this is no hardship – for either of them.

What would you do if you had cut the person you loved most out of your life and were desperate to get them back? Undoubtedly, what you would not do would be to spend fifteen years putting together a master plan which, had Adam really thought about it, could do more harm than good. Namely, setting up a publishing house (Power Publishing) and writing a book bound to be scorned by Lara, all in an attempt to get close enough to her for her to fall in love with him and trust him again. But will this seemingly ridiculous plan work? Did she ever really stop loving him? And will his claims about sex being the cure for all that ails you turn out to be a justified claim, after all?

Tawny Taylor's Sexual Healing is a rather original tale. Adam found the love of his life in college, but broke up with her to focus more on his studies, believing she would move on soon enough, not imagining the great hurt breaking up with her would cause her. Regretting doing this almost since the day he did so, he put in place an intricate plan to get her back, his pride too strong to just approach her and beg her forgiveness. That he invested fifteen years to get her back is really romantic and makes me sigh. That he did so because his pride got in the way of simply approaching her makes me want to hit him over the head for his stupidity in allowing all those years when they could have been together go to waste. Sexual Healing draws the reader into the storyline, so that they can empathise with the characters, and feel they know them enough to want to chastise them for their foolishness. With very detailed, erotic sex scenes that scorch the monitor, Sexual Healing is a story that is easy for me to recommend to everyone.